May 2001

PSOL Prepares Professionals to Meet Challenges of a Changing Workplace By Elena Barbre The rapid-fire changes taking place in our knowledge economy are matched by a revolution unfolding in the workplace. Organizations, from corporations to government agencies, don't work the way they used to, and there is a growing awareness of the need to retool to change with them. George Mason University's Program on Social and Organizational Learning (PSOL) is training professionals to meet these challenges with its knowledge management programs. These programs provide a fresh perspective on a relatively new field that addresses a problem common to all organizations--how can we understand and adapt to changes in an increasingly global and dynamic workplace? "Organizations today are very different from the organizations of a century ago, or even 30 years ago," says Mark Addleson, director of PSOL. "Knowledge management is the process of rethinking what matters in organizations and how we manage them. It's a relatively new notion, but one that is growing in relevance." This new thrust emphasizes people and their ideas as the most important factor in organizations. The focus is on community and teamwork rather than traditional structure and hierarchy--on collaboration and cooperation rather than competition. "Today's organizations are not factories, but series of projects that depend on the sharing of ideas," says Addleson. "The ideas aren't only at the top, but everywhere." George Mason's programs in knowledge management, including an online certificate program in knowledge ecology, a certificate program in knowledge management for learning organizations, and a master's degree in organizational learning with a knowledge management concentration target mid-career professionals who have been working in "organizations that don't work" and are curious about making them better, says Addleson. "This program helps them figure out how the world is changing, why they need to change directions, and how they can do that." Many of the program's students go on to be consultants or to work in such fields as human resources or organizational development. The way the program is taught is as innovative as its curriculum. The focus is on practice, and students emerge with ideas to apply on the job. Technology is used as a facilitator for idea sharing rather than a substitute for face-to-face contact. Students post their papers online rather than handing them in to the instructor and are required to read and respond to their colleagues' work. The program's interdisciplinary nature brings together students from fields as diverse as government, information technology, health care, and the clergy. As a result, opportunities to create partnerships abound, such as one now in the works with National Defense University. The issues arising from our new global economy--from foot and mouth disease to AIDS to the destruction of the rainforests--are not amenable to the old ways of managing and organizing, says Addleson. "Unless we think about these issues collaboratively, we're not going to solve them. That's what these frameworks are about--not just business and commerce, but a global view of work and organizations in society." For more information about the program, visit its web site at psol.gmu.edu or call Addleson at x31142.