Shared Understanding of the U.S. Army as a Learning Organization
Abstract
This research examined current U.S. Army Soldiers understanding of the U.S. Army's goal to establish itself as a learning organization, their roles in this goal, and their perceived challenges in the U.S. Army in accomplishing this goal. Focus groups and interviews with 125 Soldiers (PV2MG) revealed a significant effect of rank on knowledge of the U.S. Armys goal to become a learning organization, with higher ranking Soldiers more likely to be familiar with this goal than lower ranking Soldiers. Further, all Soldiers placed emphasis on the individual role of understanding and promoting a shared vision, while overarching challenges were identified as creating a trusting environment and supporting learning from failure. It is evident from this research that the U.S. Army should develop a formal, unique definition of a learning organization, identify the roles all Soldiers play in actualizing this goal, and then clearly communicate the vision, with published guidance to Soldiers of all ranks to facilitate creation of a shared understanding of the U.S. Army as a learning organization.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1064441
Entities
People
- Michele A. Calton
Organizations
- Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area