Knowledge Creation Through Development Projects

The focus of the paper is set on efforts to produce and manage organizational learning and development through engagement in organizational development projects, involving the implementation of new methods, new technologies and new ways of organizing the work processes. The issues discussed in the paper are: What are the frames of organizational learning taking place through organizational development projects. What are the causes and consequences of different levels of engagement from the staff in the projects? What factors interfere with the possibilities of transferring what is learned or implemented by the organization during the projects to the routine activities of the organization after the finishing of projects ?. In the paper a typology of development projects is presented and discussed as different ways of framing the organizational learning processes, The paper is based on an empirical study of four organizational development projects (covering the organizations as a whole) held by four Danish High Schools (“gymnasium”). The study included questionnaires as well as interviews with the management and staff, plus a survey of selected written materials and documents. The purpose of the paper is to describe the activities, actually organized by the projects., as well as the various ways in which different groupings among the staff and the management are relating to the project. A special focus is set on the different perspectives on the projects established by the staff and the management and how the perspectives have consequences on what is actually learned by individuals as well as the whole organization. Another issue is the weak links between what is known by the staff as ‘ordinary problems’ of the organizations and the objectives and goals of the development projects. The theoretical frame of analysis has references to Nanoka & Takeuchi (knowledge creation through the transformation of the forms of the knowledge), Argyris and Ellström (the distinction between modes of correction and modes of development) .