How does organizational culture influence organizational learning in a shipping company?

Abstract

This project targets on organizational culture and organizational learning, aiming to reveal how organizational culture influences on organizational learning within the shipping industry. The main research question is: How does organizational culture influence organizational learning within a shipping company? The two research sub-questions are: 1) Which components of organizational culture are especially important for organizational learning? 2) How is organizational structure related to an organizational learning culture? To answer these questions, an in-depth case study of one shipping company is performed. By analysing the research questions it is deemed to start saying that every organization, regardless of region, country or sector, has a culture of its own (Russu, 1989, p. 7). According to this, organizational culture is a key factor to build-up a shifting setting within a company, not forgetting that it must match with the organization's structure, and its business strategy (Forcadell & Guadamillas, 2002). Furthermore, if a company's culture is focalized on learning, and has a system in which its workers are able to spread knowledge, then the namely "workers" are more inclined or entrusted to learn. In relation to this, organizational learning appears when learning is transmitted from an individual to a group, and then to an organizational level. Paraphrasing (Crossan, Lane, & White, 1999), individual and organizational learning are coupled together, and the latter doesn't occur, if not individual learning firstly emerge between the workers. In conclusion, individual and organizational learning are interdependent one on each other and must meet in order to visualize organizational learning itself. Rapid advancements in both communication and information drive most organizations for a constant dynamic change, and adaptation processes in order to remain and compete in today’s globalized environments. Initiating a learning culture that meets the current dynamic times will definitively create a solid base for worker’s involvement and organizational success. An examination of any type of company comprising sensitive information, communication, and customer relations aside from their main purposes, are key subject elements in order to understand how does the culture of a particular company - in this case a shipping company, influences its organizational learning.