A case study of a network as a learning organization

Every person is connected to others through networks composed of family, friends, colleagues, and organizations. No doubt everyone involved in the field of social work is a part of many networks. Over the years networks have been described in various ways (Biegel, Tracy, & Corvo, 1994; Dosher, 1976; Rivera & Erlich, 1992; Rubin & Rubin, 1986; Schon, 1971). For this study a network is described as an organizational interconnectedness for associating with others who hold similar interests, in order to develop and access ideas, information, support, and other resources that enable network members to improve what they are doing (such as provide a better service) or achieve a goal (such as the protection of abused children). Historically, social work has focused on understanding the nature of social support networks (Biegel, Magaziner, & Baum, 1991) and community-based interagency networks (Proven & Milward, 1995). There is also a trend for the formation of regional and national interorganizational human service networks. Despite the proliferation of networks at all levels of the human service field, a good deal of what has been written about organizational networks has been atheoretical, and we know little about their inner workings. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify the organizational characteristics of an established regional interorganizational human service network; and (2) to evaluate the impact of an interorganizational network on members and their agencies. Furthermore, a post hoc examination of the findings suggests that the network under study manifests many of the characteristics of a learning organization (Senge, 1990). According to Senge, a learning organization is "where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together" (p. 4). Senge proposes that there are five core disciplines of a learning organization which empowers: (1) personal mastery, (2) mental models, (3) shared vision, (4) team building, and (5) systems thinking. The discussion section of the study proposes ways in which the paradigm of a learning organization can be applied to an interorganizational network. Implications of the findings are also presented.