Chris Argyrisand

Library Management

Michael F. Bellacosa LIS 232February 5, 2009 Dr. Katherine Shelfer

Key Ideas

•Encouragement of individual development• Contra Taylor’s “hired hands”• People have innate motivational resources

•The “Learning Organization”• Later developed and popularized by Senge• Argyris: people; Senge: systems

•“Single- and Double-Loop Learning”• Single-loop: defensive; controlling; inhibitory; low-risk• Double-loop: open; reflective; creative; innovative

•“Theories of Action”• Espoused Theories: what I say I’m going to do• Theories-in-use: what I do

Relevance to Library Management

•In the context of a rapidly evolving information space libraries must be “learning organizations”

•Examining assumptions and publicly testing theories against data is essential for innovation

•The high degree of mutual trust required for such open reflection will be difficult to engender

•Internal politics and gaps between words and deeds will increase this challenge

•New organizations may need to be built rather than trying to modify the old

Major Works and Sources

Argyris, C., & Schon, D. (1978). Organizational Learning: A theory of action perspective. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Argyris, C., & Schon, D. (1996). Organizational Learning II: Theory, method and practice. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Argyris, C. (1999). Flawed Advice and the Management Trap. New York: Oxford University Press.

Sources:

Business The Ultimate Resource (2006) . Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books (pp. 1180-1181)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Argyris

Smith, M.K. (2001). Chris Argyris: theories of action, double-loop learning and organizational learning. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved February 3, 2009, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/argyris.htm