Project: | Impact of Executive Education on Organizational Learning and Strategy |
Partner: | Ericsson; |
Challenge: | Columbia University Business School, Executive Education, has developed a customized executive education program for Ericsson's leaders that uses the Strategic Learning Cycle model developed by Willie Pietersen1. A critical challenge has been to enhance the impact of the program on organizational learning and strategy development/implementation within Ericsson. |
Description: | The project's goals were: (1) to understand the value of the program for participants and for Ericsson;(2) to identify ways the program could be improved; and (3) to identify steps that Ericsson could take to enhance participants' ability to use what they learned to contribute more effectively to strategy development and implementation in Ericsson. Interviews with participants from earlier programs and with key program designers and managers were used to develop four surveys that were administered to participants in the fifth Ericsson Executive program: before the program (in September 2004), after each of the program's two modules (in September and December 2004), and six months after the program (in April 2005). |
Benefits: |
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1Pietersen, W. (2002). Reinventing Strategy. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
To learn more about this project and results, click questions below:
How did participants benefit from the program?
How did participants use what they learned?
How has the program made a difference in Ericsson?
How did our project make a difference for Ericsson?
Ericsson
Ericsson, according to its website, is "a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Over 1,000 networks in 140 countries utilize (its) network equipment and 40 percent of all mobile calls are made through (its) systems." Ericsson offers "end-to-end solutions for all major mobile communication standards." Ericsson's joint venture with Sony enables the company to "offer a range of mobile devices, including those supporting multimedia applications and other services allowing richer communication." Ericsson holds "one of the industry's most comprehensive intellectual property portfolio containing over 20,000 patents." Ericsson was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in
The Executive Education program at
How did participants benefit from the program?
Participants in the fifth Ericsson Executive program developed insights and gained capabilities in understanding and using the strategic learning process and in becoming better leaders. Through their work on projects in the program, participants gained experience in using the strategic learning cycle while they worked on important company problems. The program design helped participants reflect on their behaviors as leaders, share information and experience across the organization, and develop new and extended networks.
How did participants use what they learned?
Participants exercised leadership as they introduced, refined, or implemented strategy in their part of the business using the common framework, methods, tools, and terminology of the strategic learning cycle.
How has the program made a difference in Ericsson?
Ericsson has benefited from:
How did the Huber Institute project make a difference for Ericsson?
The Huber Institute identified and assessed