Writers on management and organisational excellence today provide a set of prescriptions which they argue will lead to healthy, well functioning firms. Within the management sciences there has been a growing tendency to view organisations as complex systems, that is, to describe them as organisms. Increasingly the hard sciences are being used to describe and analyse organisations. In the field of creative problem solving several systems authors have advocated the use of metaphors to describe certain aspects of organisations.
In reviewing much of today’s management literature we are exhorted to use benchmarks, for a variety of management tasks. In reviewing organisational excellence we are duty bound to find a measure that will be relevant tomorrow as well as today. Conjoining these current themes in management, this thesis seeks to review what we know
about the effective collective functioning of selected species and to compare these natural systems with organisational systems.
We posit the question: Can an understanding of the functioning of natural systems help us to understand how organisations function. If so, what can we learn about the effective functioning of organisations. Firstly we will review common management theories, with a focus on organisational learning and knowledge management.
Secondly we will look at three natural organisations: Honey bees, leaf-cutter ants and the African locust. We want to find out how these organisations function, and specifically search for knowledge management and organisational learning within these biological systems. Then we will try to link management theories with our findings in natural organisations. This approach will finally deliver some interesting hypothesis about knowledge management
and organisational learning – both valid for human and natural organisations.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- MANAGEMENT THEORIES ON ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE
- MANAGEMENT
- A COMPANY'S DRIVING FORCES: THE SEVEN-S-MODEL (MCKINSEY & COMPANY, INC.)
- THE STRUCTURE OF ORGANISATIONS (HENRY MINTZBERG)
- THE 5TH DISCIPLINE – INNOVATING THE LEARNING ORGANISATION (PETER M. SENGE)
- THE „PEAK PERFORMANCE ORGANISATION“ (PPO)– WHAT MANAGEMENT CAN LEARN FROM SPORTS ORGANISATIONS (UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO, NEW ZEALAND)
- WORKGROUPS AND VIRTUAL ORGANISATIONS: FASHION OR FUTURE?
- THE 21ST CENTURY: „COLLABORATING TO COMPETE?„
- DRIVERS FOR EXCELLENCE
- LEADERSHIP
- KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS SUPPORTING TOOL FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING
- SUMMARY AND KEY FINDINGS
- ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT WITHIN NATURAL SYSTEMS
- ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE – BIOLOGICAL NETWORKS (SANTA FE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)
- NATURAL SYSTEMS
- HONEY BEES
- LEAF-CUTTER ANTS
- THE AFRICAN LOCUST
- ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT WITHIN NATURAL ORGANISATIONS: SUMMARY AND KEY FINDINGS
- MANAGEMENT LITERATURE LINKED WITH NATURAL SYSTEMS
- MCKINSEY'S 7-S-MODEL WITHIN NATURAL ORGANISATIONS
- MINTZBERG: SITUATIONAL FACTORS AS DETERMINANTS OF ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STRATEGY
- THE 5TH DISCIPLINE – ANTS, BEES AND LOCUST POPULATIONS AS LEARNING ORGANISATIONS
- LEAF-CUTTER ANTS - A PEAK PERFORMANCE ORGANISATION?
- CONCLUSIONS
- WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
- PREREQUISITES FOR LEARNING
- WHEN DOES KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT REALLY WORK?
- HOW DOES ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING FUNCTION?
- HOW TO ENFORCE ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING
- WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING?
- APPENDIX
- GLOSSARY
- MANAGEMENT TERMINOLOGY
- SYSTEMS TERMINOLOGY
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- MANAGEMENT
- BIOLOGY
- SYSTEMS
- SPACE FOR READER'S COMMENTS
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis explores the potential for understanding knowledge management and organizational learning in business organizations by drawing parallels with natural systems. It aims to analyze existing management theories in light of the observed behaviors and structures of biological networks like honey bees, leaf-cutter ants, and the African locust. The key themes of the thesis include: * Examining how knowledge management and organizational learning are conceptualized in modern management literature. * Analyzing the structure, function, and decision-making processes within natural systems. * Exploring the potential for applying management theories from the business world to natural systems. * Developing hypotheses about the mechanisms and prerequisites for knowledge management and organizational learning in both natural and human organizations. * Determining the benefits and applications of knowledge management and organizational learning in diverse contexts.Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
This thesis starts by providing an overview of knowledge management and organizational learning in business organizations. Chapter 1 examines various management theories and models, including the Seven-S Model, Mintzberg's organizational structures, Senge's Fifth Discipline, the Peak Performance Organization model, and the concept of workgroups and virtual organizations. It also discusses the crucial role of leadership, knowledge management, and information technology in driving organizational excellence. Chapter 2 delves into natural systems, specifically focusing on honey bees, leaf-cutter ants, and the African locust. It explores their organizational structures, communication mechanisms, learning processes, and overall knowledge management strategies. The chapter then examines the parallels between the functioning of these natural systems and the principles of organizational excellence as applied to business organizations. Chapter 3 seeks to bridge the gap between management theories and the observations made in natural systems. It examines how concepts like the Seven-S Model and Mintzberg's situational factors can be applied to natural organizations. The chapter also explores how natural systems like ant and bee colonies can be viewed as learning organizations according to Senge's Fifth Discipline framework.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis focuses on the key concepts of knowledge management, organizational learning, natural systems, biological networks, organizational excellence, and the application of management theories to both human and natural organizations. The thesis also explores important themes related to leadership, information technology, communication, decision-making, and the benefits of knowledge management and organizational learning.- Arbeit zitieren
- MBA Ulrike Christine Proesl (Autor:in), 2000, Knowledge Management and Organisational Learning in Business Organisations and Biological Systems, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/185516
