Moral foundations of the learning organization

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Human Relations

Publication Date

3-1-2001

Volume

54

Issue

3

First Page

319

Last Page

342

Keywords

Development, Ethics, Learning organization, Moral climate, Morality

Abstract

Characteristics of learning organizations (LOs) include free exchange across communities of practice, networked knowledge and experience, continual improvement, learning leadership, open dialogue, continual transformation and protean psychological contracts. I identify 10 moral foundations of LOs. They would house communal business cultures, accountable to Aristotelian and Kantian ethics. Power blocs would allow space for quieter, less obtrusive contributions to be valued, rather than imposing exploitative or mercenary discourses of appropriation. LOs would strive to improve their records of meeting stakeholders' moral claims. They would respond humbly to stakeholder criticism. Leadership would be humble and virtue seeking. There would be civil liberties. LOs would build, debug and update their own moral traditions. They would treat employees with compassion. They would also give special help and support to those challenged by obsolescence. There would be transparent operations and decision-making, engendering critical trust. I suggest how aspiring LOs may try to overcome problems of human defensiveness, limited moral reasoning capacity and fragmented moral terrain, and build these 10 moral foundations.

DOI

10.1177/0018726701543003

Print ISSN

00187267

E-ISSN

1741282X

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2001 The Tavistock Institute

Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Snell, R. S. (2001). Moral foundations of the learning organization. Human Relations, 54(3), 319-342. doi: 10.1177/0018726701543003

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