How the U.S. Navy Can Become a Better Learning Organization
Abstract
How can the Navy become a better learning organization? This thesis addresses this question by taking a precise look at what a learning organization is, what its essential parts are, and why they are important. This research is qualitative in nature and includes analyses of published literature, public records, congressional testimonies, committee hearings, and documented reform attempts. The work attempts to answer why the Navy has struggled to become a learning organization in the past, where it has found some small successes, and what the reasons are for failure. In summary, smarter organizations are more adaptable to challenging scenarios and change, and both individual sailors and teams are more likely to innovate and find solutions in changing environments when a strong learning infrastructure is in place. A learning organization provides a supportive structure that enables and encourages learning and brings with it a culture of collaboration and innovation by removing some of the barriers that prevent individual learning processes from succeeding by themselves. The Navy's ability to learn as an organization is important because a Navy that has the capability to learn quickly and efficiently has a long-run advantage over its rivals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1150661
Entities
People
- Robert J. Kenning
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School