Case study of an administrative services department: The effect of learning organization theory as an intervention strategy in the transformation of organizational culture

The study's purpose was to examine the transformation of the administrative services department (Department) of a state-funded agency from probationary status into a 29 person learning community.; Action research and case study techniques utilized artifacts, observations, surveys of vendors and employees, and extensive interviews with key stakeholders---all collected over a two-year time period. Artifacts included: audit reports; a Corrective Action Plan; a Technical Assistance Plan; minutes to meetings; an independent consultant's assessment of the Department; data from an offsite planning day; a review of files; and minutes, reports, and agendas from various committees. Observations came from meetings and research notes monitoring implementation of the two plans and an offsite planning day.; Content analysis of various data revealed that audit reports showed increasing improvement as audit exceptions decreased in number and significance over time. During implementation of the Technical Assistance Plan, problem-solving skills were observed at accumulating faster than technical skills, a condition necessary to sustain a learning community. Congruency of goals with other agency departments provided critical support for the turnaround effort. Analyses of personnel statistics noted a reduction in turnover. Questionnaire results showed a rising level of satisfaction with services received by stakeholders outside of the Department.; An independent consultant's assessment indicated that recipients of services provided by the Department reported that they were pleased with the new transformational leadership and experienced a sense of improvement similar to that of the Department's staff. Data from an offsite Planning Day revealed that staff worked well as a team, understood one another's problems, and shared a moral purpose.; The study established that transformational leadership is an essential requirement of an intervention strategy and that application of learning organization theory can revitalize the culture and systems of an organization from an initial state of apprehension and disarray to a positive climate and highly functioning team of workers. The study concludes that trust in the leader, a shared moral purpose, progression from a mastery of basic technical to higher level skills of problem solving, critical thinking, and systemic thinking---are all essential in the creation of a learning community.