Organizational Learning: A Process Between Equilibrium and Evolution

This paper aims to analyze learning as a two-type process. A dynamic equilibrium process represents a stable learning process, that may express an individualistic behavioral learning or an organizational adaptation. A teleological process represents an intentional, goal-oriented, learning process. This second type of learning can express an individualistic cognitive learning or a managerial organizational change. It is argued that this learning typology can helps to understand why similar organizations or individuals may learn differently when confronted to the same environmental stimuli.Dynamic Equilibrium; Learning; Organizational Learning; Teleology

Ex Post and Ex Ante Coordination: Principles of Coherence in Organizations and Markets

In the traditional trade-off between internalization and externalization, economists tend to undervalue the role of intentionality (Williamson 1991) and to accord a dominant place to market coordinating devices (ex post coordination) compared to hierarchical coordinating devices (ex ante coordination). The aim of this paper is to show how the introduction of the concept of coherence, which is frequently invoked by economists in order to apprehend the firm specificities (Holmstrom 1999), may help to revaluate the trade-off between markets and firms in the advantage of the later. In particular, it will be shown that the attributes of coherence in ex post coordinating devices are fundamentally different from the ones that can be found in ex ante coordination systems.coherence; ex post coordination; ex ante coordination; order; rules; abstract rules; concrete rules; Hayek; Bateson

Comparison of Absorption, Fluorescence, and Polarization Spectroscopy of Atomic Rubidium

An ongoing spectroscopic investigation of atomic rubidium utilizes a two-photon, single-laser excitation process. Transitions accessible with our tunable laser include 5P1/2 (F ′ ) ← 5S1/2 (F) and 5P3/2 (F ′ ) ← 5S1/2 (F). The laser is split into a pump and probe beam to allow for Doppler-free measurements of transitions between hyperfine levels. The pump and probe beams are overlapped in a counter-propagating geometry and the laser frequency scans over a transition. Absorption, fluorescence and polarization spectroscopy techniques are applied to this basic experimental setup. The temperature of the vapor cell and the power of the pump and probe beams have been varied to explore line broadening effects and signal-to-noise of each technique. This humble setup will hopefully grow into a more robust experimental arrangement in which double resonance, two-laser excitations are used to explore hyperfine state changing collisions between rubidium atoms and noble gas atoms. Rb-noble gas collisions can transfer population between hyperfine levels, such as 5P3/2 (F ′ = 3) Collision ←− 5P3/2 (F ′ = 2), and the probe beam couples 7S1/2 (F ′′ = 2) ← 5P3/2 (F ′ = 3). Polarization spectroscopy signal depends on the rate of population transfer due to the collision as well as maintaining the orientation created by the pump laser. Fluorescence spectroscopy relies only on transfer of population due to the collision. Comparison of these techniques yields information regarding the change of the magnetic sublevels, mF , during hyperfine state changing collisions

Concurrence: de quoi parlons-nous?

Rarement concept économique n’a été autant diffusé et autant mal défini que le concept de concurrence. Selon les écoles de pensée la concurrence relève soit d’un processus dynamique porteur d’innovations, soit d’une structure de marché garantissant des prix faibles et des produits homogènes. Or, ces deux visions, contradictoires entre elles, sont utilisées ensemble pour vanter les bienfaits d’une norme qui ferait de la concurrence le pivot d’une autorégulation harmonieuse des marchés. Il y a là cependant un véritable « triangle d’incompatibilités », puisque les trois objectifs assignés à la politique de la concurrence que sont l’émulation productive, l’autorégulation performante et la maximisation du bien-être des consommateurs apparaissent incompa­tibles entre eux. D’autre part, la clarification du concept de concurrence pourrait être l’occasion d’une remise en question de la conception néoclassique des marchés et de sa courbe d’offre

Cognitive and behavioral learning in organizational change

More than thirty years after Argyris and Schön (1978) dedicated a book to the subject, organizational learning theories still have difficulties to elaborate a common vocabulary and definitions set. Following Argyris and Schön seminal work, some management researchers and psycho-sociologists emphasized the cognitive aspects of organizational learning, trying to determine the best organizational practices that should be implemented in a group. On the other hand, behavioral and evolutionist economists are studying organizational learning by focusing on routines, seen as practices that are used tacitly by a team in order to solve a recurrent problem. In this paper, we aim to conciliate these two conceptions of organizational learning by showing that, unlike the psycho-sociologists say, organizational learning and organizational change must be seen as the two sides of the same idea, and unlike behavioral economists say, the role of collective intentions and collective psychology appears to be determinant if one wants to understand the specific dynamics of any organizational learning process

La fin du billet de 500 euros ? C'est une très bonne chose. Il est plus que temps

La Banque centrale européenne réfléchit à retirer les billets de 500 euros de la circulation. Elle pourrait même annoncer ce mercredi qu\u27elle renonce à imprimer ces coupures, accusées de jouer un rôle important dans le financement du terrorisme et des trafics. Une mesure pertinente ? Éclairage de l\u27économiste David Cayla, membre du collectif des Économistes atterrés

Organizational Learning: A Process Between Equilibrium and Evolution

International audienceThis paper aims to analyze learning as a two-type process. A dynamic equilibrium process represents a stable learning process, that may express an individualistic behavioral learning or an organizational adaptation. A teleological process represents an intentional, goal-oriented, learning process. This second type of learning can express an individualistic cognitive learning or a managerial organizational change. It is argued that this learning typology can helps to understand why similar organizations or individuals may learn differently when confronted to the same environmental stimuli