Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Intellectual ...

Brigita Janiunaite et al.
learn and act to maintain learning processes in organizations. However, organizations need to provide
conditions for this. Organizational learning takes place when people learn toge<strong>the</strong>r by accumulating,
analysing and using sources <strong>of</strong> knowledge and thus contributing to <strong>the</strong> fulfilment <strong>of</strong> organization’s
aims.
Organizational learning takes place when individuals are engaged in learning, but this is possible on
an individual and collective level. Learning on an individual level is related to performance <strong>of</strong> an
individual that is relevant to an organization. Individuals learn on a collective level when members <strong>of</strong>
an organization perform toge<strong>the</strong>r in departments, groups, teams or in all organization. A result <strong>of</strong> this
kind <strong>of</strong> learning is acquisition <strong>of</strong> organizational knowledge that may influence organizational
behaviour.
What is <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> learning organization? Its most important mission is to empower innovative
processes in an organization. Thus <strong>the</strong> learning organization is not only <strong>the</strong> means <strong>of</strong> creating
knowledge but also <strong>the</strong> content <strong>of</strong> an organization. The learning organization is important in itself
because <strong>of</strong> empowering innovative processes. In <strong>the</strong> learning organization learning takes place on
two levels – <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> cognitive knowledge and cultural level <strong>of</strong> values (Juceviciene, 2007).
Organizational learning may be, depending on different approaches, <strong>of</strong> different types. For instance,
with reference to <strong>the</strong> purposefulness <strong>of</strong> learning, it may be self-directed, self-managed and
experiential learning; with reference to <strong>the</strong> relationship between teaching and learning, formal, nonformal
and informal types <strong>of</strong> learning are distinguished; with reference to performance as aim, method
or by-product, learning-in action, action learning and experiential learning are distinguished; in relation
to <strong>the</strong> criterion <strong>of</strong> independence, independent learning takes place when employees are free to make
decisions, learn, work, set goals and reach for <strong>the</strong>m, whereas ano<strong>the</strong>r variety is learning as a followup
<strong>of</strong> teaching (Juceviciene, 2007). For organizational learning to take place, favourable conditions
are necessary in an organization, for instance, physical environments, management support,
organizing relevant forms <strong>of</strong> learning, aligning <strong>the</strong> aims <strong>of</strong> learning with <strong>the</strong> aims <strong>of</strong> an organization, a
system <strong>of</strong> knowledge management and o<strong>the</strong>r conditions. These issues comprise <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>oretical
background <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research.
4. Method
The research draws on <strong>the</strong> quantitative research strategy; a written survey has been employed. The
questionnaire <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> survey was designed drawing on <strong>the</strong> criteria <strong>of</strong> organizational learning (forms <strong>of</strong>
learning, organizational preconditions, etc) that were defined by statements (44 in total). The
statements were not specified for pr<strong>of</strong>it and non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organizations, as this would have been an
obstacle for a valid comparison <strong>of</strong> results in different sectors. The format <strong>of</strong> Likert-type scale with fivelevel
items was used in <strong>the</strong> survey.
The research relied on nonprobability sampling. As <strong>the</strong> aim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research was to reveal how
organizational learning is manifested and identify some tendencies; <strong>the</strong>refore, senior and deputy
managers <strong>of</strong> 30 pr<strong>of</strong>it and non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organizations were surveyed. They are referred to as experts
because <strong>the</strong>y have sufficient information on <strong>the</strong> research subject and are able to give expert
evaluation.
Different business (engineering, telecomunications, IT, business consulting) (16) and public (schools,
universities, colleges, museums, <strong>the</strong>atres, non-governmental and o<strong>the</strong>r) organizations (14) were
selected. Non-governmental organizations were distinguished from non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organizations in <strong>the</strong>
survey and presentation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research results. NGOs involve: a) associations that are initiated and
established by private bodies; b) charity foundations, except for those established by <strong>the</strong> state;
c) some public agencies (depending on <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> activity and founders). In <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> this survey
<strong>the</strong> sample encompassed a women’s crisis centre, public enterprise for organizing festivals, music
foundation, etc. in X city. These organizations were selected because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir specific performance
and analysed separately from o<strong>the</strong>r non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organizations.
The research instrument was validated in terms <strong>of</strong> statement content, construct and statistics.
The research data were processed following this rationale:
As <strong>the</strong> diagnostic block <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> questionnaire involved a quite large number <strong>of</strong> statements (44), it
was necessary to condense <strong>the</strong> information. To reveal <strong>the</strong> extent to which <strong>the</strong> structure described
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