Benjamin Rudnick

I keep hearing about all sorts of Incentives and Rebates for solar panels, and wonder if that really makes it more affordable. I think the big question is, how long does it take to recover your investment. Also, what happens to the energy that you store but don't use, would be nice if you could sell it back to the energy companies! Anyway, i'm looking into getting some of these bad boys for my home and also need to consider the environmental benefits. There are a bunch of good sites that have solar panel information, so i guess i have some more research to do. if anyone has any experience with solar panels, installation, rebates, etc., please let me know!

Thanks

The “learning organization” is a concept based on the 1990 work of Peter Senge titled, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Here, Senge defines the learning organization as humans cooperating in dynamical systems that are in a state of continuous adaptation and improvement. The idea is that for a given organization to be successful, it must continually be learning and adapting in order to respond to changes in its environment. Also, because the group itself learns, some aspects of knowledge are retained despite the system losing a member. Essentially, the collective intelligence is greater than, and survives that which is the sum of its parts.

Interestingly enough, Senge equates the experience of learning with the very core of what it means to be human. Through learning and creativity, new experiences are had, new perspectives are formed, and the reality that we once understood changes with every thought. The foundations of The Fifth Discipline lie in three main ideas; 1) organizations who are optimized for learning utilize feedback loops, 2) a learning organization may create an enterprise taxonomy, and 3)an organization must always challenge its processes, instructions, assumptions and basic structure. A true “learning organization” is always redesigning itself.

Finally, the Five Disciplines are laid out to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and growth of the organization. The first, building a shared vision is similar to that of strategic planning. The second is mental models, which is an explanation in someone’s thought process for how something works (almost like a schema). Next, is team learning which aims to increase engagement. The fourth discipline is personal mastery. And the fifth discipline is systems thinking, which integrates the other four.

The “learning organization” is a concept based on the 1990 work of Peter Senge titled, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Here, Senge defines the learning organization as humans cooperating in dynamical systems that are in a state of continuous adaptation and improvement. The idea is that for a given organization to be successful, it must continually be learning and adapting in order to respond to changes in its environment. Also, because the group itself learns, some aspects of knowledge are retained despite the system losing a member. Essentially, the collective intelligence is greater than, and survives that which is the sum of its parts.

Interestingly enough, Senge equates the experience of learning with the very core of what it means to be human. Through learning and creativity, new experiences are had, new perspectives are formed, and the reality that we once understood changes with every thought. The foundations of The Fifth Discipline lie in three main ideas; 1) organizations who are optimized for learning utilize feedback loops, 2) a learning organization may create an enterprise taxonomy, and 3)an organization must always challenge its processes, instructions, assumptions and basic structure. A true “learning organization” is always redesigning itself.

Finally, the Five Disciplines are laid out to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and growth of the organization. The first, building a shared vision is similar to that of strategic planning. The second is mental models, which is an explanation in someone’s thought process for how something works (almost like a schema). Next, is team learning which aims to increase engagement. The fourth discipline is personal mastery. And the fifth discipline is systems thinking, which integrates the other four.

A major shift in the way global businesses operate is occurring due to the increasing demand for new innovations. Rapidly developing economies such as Brazil, India, China, Russia and Mexico are now competing on the world’s stage and companies are beginning to realize that in order to penetrate world markets, we must learn from them. In “How companies win in the Knowledge Economy”, the authors suggest that companies will succeed by sensing that the knowledge about emerging market needs are dispersed throughout the world. Similarly for established multinationals, success will lie in harnessing knowledge from outside their subsidiaries. By searching for ideas and innovation with a global perspective, companies will be able to sense and mobilize new information and be better positioned to compete. Doz, Santos and Williamson go on to illustrate three levels of competition facing a multinational company. The first comes in the form of sensing, or identifying new resources. Next is the integration of these new opportunities followed by the optimization of operations. The article cites the two major advantages of multinationals as: 1) the ability to leverage alternative distribution channels, and 2) the ability to gain access to cheap labor and raw materials. I would also like to add that multinationals may benefit by creating a global brand, obtaining and commoditizing natural resources as well as infusing new business models. This new model of open innovation and collaboration is a sigh of relief as it is a leap away from the ego-driven principle that all great ideas are generated at home.

With these concepts in mind, we must next look at who will be served by these new metanational conglomerates. According to C.K. Prahalad, two-thirds of the world’s population (4 billion people) lives on less than $2 per day. This “long tail” group serves as both an unsaturated market as well as a source for new innovations and growth opportunities. More-so, companies must begin to realize their obligation to social consciousness. Providing basic needs like power and communication to developing countries can create a disruption in many business models. This was evident when Honda began producing motorized bicycles and served the population of consumers that typical motorcycle companies found unattractive. Will we soon see the day of the $3,000 – $5,000 car that enables less privileged consumers to afford practical transportation? In “The Great Leap”, the authors cite that more than half of the world’s population does not have reliable telecommunications service. The subsequent story of the Grameen Telecom Company is a brilliant example of how a creative approach and willingness to “pay it forward” can result in a brand new market. When a company like this can add such great value to a given community it then is able to exploit its first mover advantage, learn from the new culture and act as a local hero.

These efforts will shape the macroeconomic landscape as we know it by creating a more level playing field for emerging markets. It only makes sense that companies venture out into the world in search of new ideas and use their global reach to create entirely new markets. So, let’s take this one step farther and include the realm of digital worlds. Just recently, the American Cancer Society raised over $40,000 in a virtual walk-a-thon featured on secondlife.com, a user created on-line world. Is this the evolution of opportunities for metanationals? Will we eventually need to venture into these worlds to experience the latest innovations?