Organization Learning, Including Marketing Efforts, Innovation, Motivation And Commitment In Order To Obtain The Healthy Growth Of Lmfe (An approach using Qualitative System Dynamics)

Laboratory of Management Faculty of Economics, University of Padjadjaran (LMFE Unpad) is one of the units with fully supported by Faculty of Economics, University of Padjadjaran. LMFE provides services in research, training, management and business consultancy. Major problems of LMFE are the lack of adequate marketing effort, innovation, motivation, and commitment of the LMFE members and those jeopardize the healthy growth of LMFE. As a complex social system, the LMFE’s performances are extremely influenced by numerous interrelated variables. Understanding and recognizing the relevant of factors and their influence on an organization are inevitably consequences for effectiveness of organization itself. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore and understand the complex interdependences and underlying structure at the behavioral and cognitive level, which influence organizational learning and effectiveness of LMFE over time. Marketing effort, innovations, motivation and commitment are part of organization structure variables. In order to do so, this study applies a system dynamics approach, which helps explore complexities and underlying structures that generally are not detected by the input-output type of models generally used in organizational studies. Organizations learn through their individuals. This paper describes a method of intervention by a facilitator designed to enhance organization learning through changes in individuals’ mental models. Implicit in system dynamics approach to organizational learning is organizations work the way they do because people work the way they do. And people work they way they do because of the way they think, and further, they work the way they do together because of how they think together. Therefore, if LMFE want to change the way people work together, then LMFE need to enable people to think differently – together. Participation of LMFE members in group model-building process is expected to build stakeholders’ understanding and enhance team learning. Some causal feedback loop diagrams have been demonstrated in this paper, both a source of knowledge and a process for learning. Various models of organization learning also help LMFE to start a learning process. Like many similar studies, the real learning is in the PROCESS, rather than in the CONTENT or OUTCOME. Based on that reason, a series of organizational learning workshop for LMFE members will be very important things to do as the next step.