Mike Geppert - Beyond the Learning Organisation: Paths of Organisational Learning in the East German Context

Beyond the Learning Organisation

Paths of organisational learning in the East German context

MIKE GEPPERT

First published 2000 by Gower Publishing

Reissued 2018 by Routledge

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Copyright Mike Geppert 2000

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A Library of Congress record exists under LC control number: 00135333

ISBN 13: 978-1-138-73979-6 (hbk)

ISBN 13: 978-1-315-18404-3 (ebk)

Note

The figure after the interview-code counts which interview is being referred to with respective interview partner. Interview code la/2 (chapter 4, p. 69), for example, refers to the second interview with the former Managing Director of case study A.

When you read this study you will understand that its preparation, quite similar to the theme of our project, was an open and compound learning process. There are two points I would like to make.

On the one hand, I wanted to research a topic which has not given much consideration in conventional organisational learning discussions. Thus, it required a lot of encouragement from colleagues and friends. I first and foremost wish to thank Arndt Sorge (University of Groningen) who has supported me in my work through many discussions and his expert advice. Despite having moved to the Netherlands in the middle of my research project, he continued to be a source of great support. So, I thank him especially for his patience shown throughout the entire, sometimes rather difficult research process. Moreover, I am particularly grateful to colleagues and friends who read numerous drafts of this study and provided me with valuable feedback, such as Maja Apelt (Universitt der Bundeswehr Hamburg), Gnter Bechtle (Humboldt-University Berlin), Johan DeDeken (Humboldt-University Berlin) and Stefan Khl (University of Munich). I am specially thankful to my colleague Karin Lohr (Humboldt-University Berlin) who, beyond reading my work and discussing it with me, was of great assistance to me during some of the more challenging phases of my research. In addition, I want to thank John Child (University of Cambridge) for the support he gave during a visit to the UK in arranging very stimulating discussions with other academics researching similar issues at the Judge Institute of Management Studies in Cambridge in the summer of 1996.

On the other hand, my decision as a native German to write this study in the English language required not only a lot of self-discipline but a great deal of learning and, moreover, active support. Here I am most grateful to Kay Adamson (University of Sunderland), Beverley John (University of Wales Swansea), Lora Renz-Moritz (Humboldt-University Berlin) and again to Johan DeDeken, and Arndt Sorge for their assistance in revising the English manuscript and hopefully improving my German English.

For research interviews, access to companies and documents, I thank managers, employees and works councils in my sample companies. Thanks also to the students who worked together with me in the intensive research phase of the project, such as Marek Krause (now University of Jena), Andre Metzner (now in a research group of Daimler/Chrysler).

Moreover, I wish to acknowledge the Hans-Bckler Foundation, and mention especially Werner Fiedler, for their support of my research.

Last but not least I want to thank my family and my friend Peggy. I am profoundly grateful to Peggy for loving me and not disowning me during the process.

Finally, in spite of all the help that I received, I take the responsibility for any errors that remain in this study. Thus, when you find some, then I want to thank you in advance for bringing them to my attention.

Mike Geppert

Swansea