Implications of leadership, individual and organizational learning theories for organizations in Taiwan

Learning and leadership are important to organizations both to produce more competent products, and to produce a more effective and efficient organization. This paper explores knowledge and understanding that has developed in the fields of individual learning, organizational learning, and leadership, and then examines the implications and relevance for the Taiwanese organization management system. It is concluded that individual learning theories emphasise that cause and effect, social context and role models, and experience and abstraction can all be important to education and the development of new knowledge and behaviour. Organizational learning theory suggests that culture is important because real learning can only occur if reality is not obscured and people confront the incongruities between what they espouse and what they actually do. Leadership in Taiwanese organizations is generally based on traditional Chinese culture leading to the top-down autocratic style relying on a power structure rather than democratic management. This emphasises the importance of the social context and elder role model for learning and does not encourage reflection and challenging of the status quo. This suggests that it could be difficult for Taiwanese organizations to deal successfully with turbulent external change.