GOOD  READING
 

THE  MODERN  TIMES  WORKPLACE

To Review the list of  Recommended Articles,  Click-on the specific  Topic  in the right-hand column

LEARNING ORGANIZATION

" Organizing to Deliver Solutions"
- Describes a hybrid model of organization adopted by IBM and Nokia, that successfully links a Òcustomer-centricÓ front-end with its back-end product-based structure 
by Jay Galbraith, Prepared for Special Issue of Organizational Dynamics, May 2002.
 
The Quality of Work: A People-Centred Agenda
- Based upon extensive research, a powerful case is made for high-quality work as a common ground for employers with an eye on productivity and individuals seeking greater challenge and meaning in their work
by Graham Lowe, Oxford University Press, Toronto, 2000.
 
Action Research at Mackenzie: Experiences of  Employee Participation

- A successful case study example of 'action research' as a planned change intervention in a manufacturing organization, with high levels of employee participation, that demonstrates the potential and challenges of institutionalizing 'action learning' by individuals and the organization
by Bert Painter, B.C. Research, 1977
 
Action Research Design of IT & Knowledge Work: A Case Study
- A successful case study in a public insurance company which converted long-standing paper-based work processes to an electronic document management system, using an action research approach that led to innovative job and organization structures maximizing the business potential of the technology, while over 90% of surveyed employees found the new IT system a substantially positive change.
by Bert Painter, 2007 International Action Research Conference, Work Research Institute, Oslo, Norway

Using Action Research to Promote New STS Theory & Practice
- A project to build new knowledge within a geographically dispersed community of academics and practitioners of STS design principles, using a true Action Research process carried out on two levels, to develop ways to apply STS concepts and methodologies to the problems of the 21st century.
by Bert Painter, 2007 International Action Research Conference, Work Research Institute, Oslo, Norway

The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
- Classic foundation for systems-thinking, mental models, personal mastery, shared vision, and team learning and dialogue as the inescapable elements in building a learning organization
by Peter Senge, Doubleday, NY., 1990.
 
Managing the Unexpected: Assuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity
- Organizing for high performance when the potential for error and disaster is overwhelming, the story of high reliability organizations—nuclear power plants, aircraft carriers, and fire-fighting crews—provides a template for all organizations in managing the unexpected
by Karl Weick & Kathleen Sutcliffe, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2001.
 
Learning to Manage our Futures: The Participative Redesign of Societies in Turbulent Transition

by Trevor Williams, Wiley, NY., 1982.