EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany

Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations

Higher Education Institutions as

Learning Organizations - a Systematic
Literature Review

Laszlo Horvath
horvath.laszlo@ppk.elte.hu

ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Institute of Education, Hungary

 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations

Rationale
• Diverse and complex challenges (Sporn 2001)
• Restructuring of national economies, changing role of state  increased pressure on public
funding and autonomy
• Shifting demographics and new technologies  new and diverse target groups
• Increasing globalisation, labour market needs  programme harmonisation, mobility
• Organisations that have longer than average longevity: learning ability (de Geus 1997)
• HEIs: resistant to change or able to adapt to new realities? (Evans & Henrichsen 2008;
Halasz 2010)
• Expanding goals, professionalisation of leadership, global orientation and internationalisation
(Wissema 2009)
• Examine the implications of learning for organisational functioning (Kezar 2005)
• Learning organisation (Senge 2000)
 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations

HEIs as learning organisations?

• Management fad (Kezar 2005): some kernel of wisdom
• Organisational learning considers whether, how and under
what conditions do organizations learn? (Focus: internal;
limitations)
• Learning organisation (LO) is an environment that fosters a
learning culture (Focus: external; overcoming threats)
• Örtenblad’s (2015) typology of the learning
organisation  different model for HEIs
• learning at work
• organisational learning
• the climate for learning
• learning structure
 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations
• Flexibility, proactivity
• Learning
• Strengthening the
• Distributive supporting
capacity to reach goals
vision, mission
leadership • Continuous
• Strategic and and structure
experimentation
• Openness,
HUMAN RESOURCES •
LEADERSHIP systems thinking Enhancing quality of
• Supporting learning ORGANIZATIONAL involvement
output, lowering costs
CULTURE • Stimulating, safe
of input
• Content analysis of Knowledge-information Learning and development Change and adaptation
63 different operations operations operations
definitions of • Gathering, creating, • Action learning • Continious and conscious
learning controlling, sharing, • Identifying learning needs, analysis change and its acceptance
organization expolitating of internal and and development of processes and • Continious and coscious
• Summary of basic external knowledge linking them with innovation goals adaptation to chaning
characteristics in a • Application of knowledge identifying supportive external and internal
systems thinking in decision making organizational aspects settings
• Change in the contexts of • Equity, empowerment • Change- and adaptation
model (input –
knowledge creation • Willingness and engagement for self capacity embedded in
process – output – • Remove barriers of development organizational culture and
feedback + context) experimentation • Learning how to learn together structure
• Renewal of processes • Support and coordination
• Reflexion embedded in organizational culture
and structure
• Workplace learning
 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations

Systematic Review
Örtenblad and Koris (2014) Author

• 73 papers between 1988 and 2012 • Expanding and continuing

• Value focus:
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Employee well-being
• Societal Effectiveness
• Understanding of LO:
• Learning at Work
• Organizational Learning
• Culture for Learning
• Learning Structure
original study (+30 papers and
21 papers before 2012)
• Extended framework of analysis:
• Research design
• Measurement tool, scales and
reliability
• Sample
 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations

Basis of LO definition:
• 66% Senge (only 6 studies cite Senge (2000)) Research design:
• 30% Watkins and Marsick • 54% theoretical
• 22% Argyris and Schön • 46% empirical, out of which
• 21% Pedler and Burgeyone • 12% qualitative
• 26% Garvin • 6% mixed
• 47% etc. • 16% case study
Value focus: • 67% quantitative
• 91% Organizational effectiveness
• 26% Employee well-being Quantitative tool:
• 35% Societal Effectiveness • 46% used self-developed tool (out of
Understanding of LO: which 45% based on Senge’s
• 48% Learning at work dimensions)
• 76% Organizational learning • 33% used the DLOQ
• 80% Culture for learning • 3-10% used other tools
• 68% Learning Structure
Citations of previous HEI as LO
literature:
• 45% doesn’t cite any
• 21% cite only one
• 34% more than one
 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations

Preliminary research in Hungary Developed

aspects
Areas of
improvement
• Testing the short form of DLOQ (7 items) as
part of an another research project
• Random stratified sampling of full-time
academics (N=1066 academics from 37 HEIs
from different regions and types)
• Confirmative Factor Analysis of Organizational
Learning Culture (OLC): Cronbach’s Alpha: .91;
model fit indicies >.90
• Significant differences in the perception of OLC
regarding
• Organizational leadership position
• Organizational classification
• Job tenure
 EARLI SIG 4 Conference 2018 - Gießen, Germany
Topography of research on higher education: Promoting deep conversations
Number of
graduates

Concept of PhD research Number of first

Organizational Effectiveness
place entrants Effectiveness of
education

organization:

Bryson 2004)
LePine 1998;
(Van Dyna –
Number of

Listening
publications

(11)
Organizational
Number of
Culture (24) citations Effectiveness of
(Cameron - research
Quinn, 2011) R+D
responsibilities
(5)
Number of (Latif 2017)
Learning patents Effectiveness of
Third mission
bureaucracy
DLOQ (42) (12)
(Watkins – (Hoy –

well-being
Employee
Marsick Employee well-
Sweetland being (22)
2003) 2001) (Hackman –
Oldham 1976)

Effectiveness
Societal
Community
engagement (4)
(Latif 2017)
Thank you for your attention!
Laszlo Horvath
junior research fellow

horvath.laszlo@ppk.elte.hu