Army War College: The Mode Of Knowledge Production

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1. INTRODUCTION “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change” (Charles Darwin) The world as we knew it no longer exists. The rapid pace and drastic changes to the world created a VUCA world. VUCA, an acronym, developed by the Army War College reflects on the volatility (rate of things changing), uncertainty (our inability to cope with volatility), complexity (chaos and considering multiple factors) and ambiguity (to be open to more than one interpretation) of situations faced today. In order to cope in this fast changing world, self-evaluation and understanding of others is essential. The skill to be able to sense the current context of the …show more content…

2. LEARNING TO LEARN The way we learn has to change in order to be in line with the changing world around us. “The mode of knowledge production is changing in significant ways. We can now distinguish two modes of knowledge production: mode 1 and mode 2” (Gibbons, 1997) Mode 1 knowledge production is primarily based on academic learning. Knowledge is gained at traditional research centres and universities where teachers possess the knowledge and have to pass it on to the students. Mode 2 knowledge production focuses on problem solving by considering all the factors. It involves various disciplines and team work as supposed to individual work. It is expected of managers and supervisors to make decisions and solve problems in a very unpredictable and demanding world. According to (Snowden & Boone, 2007) effective leaders need to learn to correctly identify the context of their business environment in order to match their decision-making styles to the current environment. “Truly adept leaders know not only how to identify the context they’re working in but also how to change their behaviour to match” (Snowden & Boone, …show more content…

It is important to draw from each other’s strengths to compensate for the other’s weaknesses in order to ensure the sustainability of the department. 8. CONCLUSION In order to be a living leader and not just a surviving leader in the current world of work, change is required. One can no longer view your work as a 9 to 5 stable job. 9. REFERENCE LIST • Snowden, D.J. & Boone, M.E. 2007. A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making. • Bonner Curriculum: Leadership Compass. • Gibbons, M. What kind of University – Research and teaching in the 21st Century. • Gibbons, M. & Scott, P. & Nowotny, H. Re-Thinking Science: Mode 2 in Societal Context. • Hay Group. One Style doesn’t fit all: The different ways people learn and why it matters. • Snowden, D.J. & Kurtz, C.F. The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated. • The Da Vinci Institute. 2015. Managerial Leadership Odyssey – Kolb’s Learning Theory and Styles │ Study Material. • The Da Vinci Institute. 2015. Approaches to Reframing as an alternative positive thinking approach │ Study Guide. • Stadtländer, H. & Christian, T.K. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership (Book Review) •