The Learning Organization

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ABBREVIATION: The finding of C. Argyris - what he brought to my observations?

- The most remarkable finding of C. Argyris is, to what he stumbled in the study of the obstacles of the learning organization. The leaders of the organizations were interviewed. They told that there are 10 things, that a leader should never do. So the behavior model is ”I don't never do the 10 things” = the model A. In a way they said, that they were following the model A in their behavior in the organizations. After awhile their behavior was observed and observers expected the behavior A according the model A. But the surprise was full, the behavior was B, they did the 10 forbidden of bad things as it would be the good bible of the behavior. At first Argyris thought, that this indicated that the behavior( B) was wrong,, because they said they were following the model A. Then Argyris came to conclusion, that the behavior (B) was right, because they followed the model B instead the model A. From model B followed behavior B.

- His conclusion was: The leaders in all the organizations around the world were following the same model or theory. They behaved the same way, when the same theory or the defense system was on use. He called the theory as the 'theory-in-use'. He used also the words 'the defense system' in the same meaning.

- The following may seem a small thing, but it is the key to understand it All and especially to understand the problems he met: At first Argyris is talking about 'the theory-in-use' but in the later part of his books he is using only the plural form, 'the theories-in-use'.
- When 'the theory-in-use' or 'the defense system' starts to influence the behavior of a person in organization, it means that the behavior is very unproductive and even destructive.
- So Argyris saw that the main purpose of the theory of the learning organization was to stop this kind of behavior (B). Because normally the whole process of the defense system is unconscious, he thought, that the cure was to make the process known. You cannot direct a process that is unknown to the persons.

- Because Argyris didn't give any particular guidance in this subject, I believe he didn't have any. He didn't know, what to do for the matter. How to make a person know a thing he doesn't want to know? A normal person has no tools to know the things that are in unconscious.
- One of the key questions is, what in the organizations make all the people behave according to the model B, according to the theory-in-use or to the defense system.
- What does an ordinary person (also Argyris) believes? He believes, that all the persons are different, the behavior of people is different. He believes, that the plural form is right and the only one there is.

- You have to keep in mind, that before his last book Argyris went through all the new books of the behavior science, and he didn't find any help or any answers. And he is telling, that his believe into the behavior science diminished radically.

My Perceptions and Interpretations:

- Argyris is the first person, I have found out, who speaks dimly about the Similarity of the Behavior of all the people.
- The indicator of the problem Argyris had, is that he is using both the singular and the plural form of the words: theory-in-use vs. theories-in-use and the defense system vs. the defense systems. The later form is more used and it shows to me, that Argyris believes that there are as many theories-in-use as there are people.
- Argyris is saying, that in the organization the behavior of the people is the same, but in the regular life the behavior is different. What make the behavior of the people in ordinary life different and what gives them the different 'theories-in-use' or 'the different defense systems' is the process of socialization, because the behavior scientists, who cannot give him answers to his questions, say so. He doesn't explain how the process of socialization happens. He believes it happens and it makes people different. The same way he doesn't tell what on earth makes the people in the organizations behave the same way and that is even a bigger fault.
- I understand the lack of explanations, because Argyris is a human being and most of us think,, that the behavior of the people is different.

- Lets make it a little bit easier to understand.
- All the directors in the study behaved the same way in the organizations.
- This is the TRUTH. Something started the same kind of behavior.
- That is he FACT, because it was observed.

- They have the same kind of 'a theory-in-use' or 'a the defense system' and they behave the same way. This is the theory.

- The scientists of the behavior science tell to Argyris, that all the people behave differently in life so they have different 'theories-in-use' or 'the defense
systems' in life. This is what Argyris wants to believe.
- So Argyris starts to use automatically the plural words - 'the theories-in-use', 'the defense systems' and show no sign to explain, why the behavior of the people in organizations is the same. Even though this was his main finding.

- He definitely knows that the behavior of people in the organization is bad for the organization as a whole. Something has to be done.
- When Argyris is talking about the defense systems of the people, he is saying that the system starts to work, when something happens to a person in organization. And it is an unconscious process.
- What ever happens, leads to inefficiency. The person is not anymore productive. He starts to blame other people, he searches for excuses, he starts 'fancy food works', and especially he does every kind of subsidiary works. This are the some 10 things for leaders not to do.

- I understand the difficulties Argyris had and I admire his unusual honesty.

- Argyris didn't find the answers, because he didn't understand the me of a person and why a person unconsciously starts the the defense system. It is not a shame, because even the scientists of the behavior science don't know it. To Perceive what the me of the person is and what it does to the behavior of the person, we have to cross the boarder. That is the same thing, than Knowing Oneself or the Me of the person.

- The model or program of the defense system of the people cannot be found in the area of the operation system of the thoughts but in the area of the Operation System of the Perception or of the No-Thought.
- You have to go beyond the border of through, to Perceive 'the theory-in-use' or 'the defense system' and the importance of the singular form of the words.

Why and how the people behave the same way?

• The purpose of human life is to find Adequate Good or Good Life.
• All the people are using in this work the goods that have value in their culture.
• Their behavior shows, that they cannot archive this goal by using the tools and the goods they are using.
• All the people in spite of their cultural background and in spite of the time they are living are seeking the same goal.
• The behavior gives birth to a phenomena called development. I define the phenomena as a movement to the unconscious Goal where the movement absolutely stops. That Goal is unknown to the human thoughts. So for the goal become the movement because of the movement.

• Because the human behavior is so regular and common, this leads to the perception, that all the people have the same 'program' that is leading the behavior.

• That relative good is never enough for a human being. This is the only way I can explain and understand the human behavior, the phenomena of development and the ever lasting insufficiency.

My conclusion from the works of Argyris and from my own Perceptions is, that there is one and only one theory-in-use or one defense system for all the people in organization and in life generally and it goes on unconsciously, when a person unconsciously meats something that he/she unconsciously considers to be dangerous to his/her self or to the me of the person and that leads to behavior that is in the organizations unproductive and even dangerous. After a shorter or longer while this behavior despairs and the person is the rational him-/herself again.
- The goal of the organizations is to be productive and to make money. The key elements in achieving that are the people of the organizations. How to make them work harder and better. How to make that kind of products and services that the customers are satisfied.

- How the quality is done? I like to bring forwards the feelings of former craftsmen. They cared for the their work, for the products, for their customers and most of all for themselves. I can add that nowadays they would have also cared for the organization. This is the main goal of the theory of the learning organization. How to make the employees to care for things. It cannot be made from outside, the same with motivation. It has to come from inside the employee.
- The theory-in-use or the defense system explains the negative side of the ordinary behavior. The right behavior has everything to do with the me or self.
- The Learning Organization is still utopia. To me it means, that it cannot archived genuinely without the majority of the persons in organization of Knowing Themselves. If it is and will stay as an utopia, there is are some artificial way to do it.