Gen inertia

Gen inertia: Definition
Gen inertia is a theoretical concept in organizational learning paradigm—the idea that is based on the twin concepts of Gen—which means 'info', and inertia—which is a principle of classical physics. Concepts similar to gen inertia—for instance, like knowledge inertia, has been previously discussed by Liao (2002) in relation to problem solving and organizational learning. Gen inertia is a theory proposed to explain the constraining factors that create obstacles and hinder learning in organizations. The idea about the theory of Gen inertia arose from close observations on workforces in action in learning organizations. The theory is microfounded on the basic tenets of workforce learning.
In fact, Park & McLean studied and explored the diverse factors that influence workforce learning, and elaborated on the relationships among those factors. Indeed, it is essential to comprehend what drives workforce learning, and what hinders it. To understand the factors that hinder workforce learning in organizations, Gen inertia is a concept developed, and consequently proposed, to address the problem of inertia in learning among the workforces who aims for better performance and vertical mobility. The problem—according to many scholars of management science, educationists, and psychologists—is not just about learning in organizations, but more often, it is about how employees should acquire, apply, and utilize knowledge at workplace. More than that, Gen inertia involves that knowledge domain in organizations which effectively deals with acquisition and conceptualization of knowledge gained, identification of barriers to effective learning, and removal of such barriers thereof. This part is essential, because it promises important results. Barriers create obstacles to learning; therefore, such barriers must be removed in order to enable knowledge flow smoothly across the organization. Factors that interfere with workforce learning reduce the momentum of information acquisition and impede the ‘flow’ of knowledge that leads to organizational “Gen Inertia”.
In today’s Knowledge economy,workforces must learn to compete and perform efficiently. Workforces in action in modern organizations are required to respond constantly to internally driven demands for change. Likewise, organizations should cultivate ‘learning environment(s)’ for their workforces so that both the employees and their organizations are able to keep up and sustain the innovation drive—innovation, being one of the five traditional mantras of organizational survival—the other four being ‘strategy’, ‘skill’, ‘competency’, and ‘efficiency’. Learning for innovation entail creative minds to engage in knowledge works related to the research and development frontier. The purpose of almost all R&D activities in business organizations is to generate ‘new knowledge’, or ‘new Gen’. This new knowledge could be product, process, or innovation in product or process, or anything ‘new’ that brings about affirmative change in organizational operations. The word “innovation” means something unique or ‘novel’—the reason innovation requires new Gen—or new information. Organizational barriers to learning often impede generation of this new knowledge essential to compete and innovate competently with other market players (competitors) and innovators.
The idea of Gen inertia, therefore, could be aptly employed to explain any unexplained causes and factors that induce inertia within the knowledge trajectory of learning employees. The theory of Gen inertia proposed therefore, pertains to these aspects of the problem of inertia associated with organizational learning in a wider perspective. The theory provides a framework to identify the heterogeneous factors that not only interfere with workforce learning, but helps to recognize and therefore, to remove structural barriers to learning which acts as a constraint or a ‘force’ that induces inertia in workforce learning. Identifying the factors behind such ‘forces’ that induces learning inertia is essential. Therefore, the theory of Gen inertia has been conceptualized to deal with such constraining forces in organizational learning.
Theory of Gen inertia
There are a myriad of problems often faced by employees working in organizations. However, one problem that merits special attention relates to workforce learning which can be perceived as an internal affair compromising workforce motivation and performance. This problem is however, everyone’s concern; i.e., both the management’s and its team members’—because, it relates explicitly to workforce learning and performance culture. Anything that hinders or impedes learning amongst the employees gets reflected in their overall performance, and therefore, in their organization’s operational frontiers. We may refer to this problem of impediment in learning as—Gen inertia. Nevertheless, this problem of Gen inertia appears to be universal; i.e., it is widespread and much prevalent among the students, learners, and the masses. We often find students not learning “enough”, or say, not learning anything at all. Or even if they are learning, they fail to derive full benefits from it. They often fail to conceptualize what they have learnt. They learn, but recall very less. Some learners do not derive enough motivations to learn owing to lack of encouraging environments, good instructors, instructional techniques and tools. On the contrary, it is also apparent that there appears to be a problem of Gen inertia owing to inadequate acquisition of information and knowledge. Learners face barriers to learning which results in learning inertia. The theory of Gen inertia is supposedly meant to identify factors that leads to learning inertia—an inhibitory phenomenon, and therefore, endeavours to develop strategies to deal with this inhibitory phenomenon that acts as barriers affecting learning which eventually leads to information inertia amongst the employees, students, and pupils. By this conduct, if we assume employees as a learning workforce, then workforce education becomes one of the most important factors of employee performance, and thus, any constraining factor which induces, or tends to induce inertia in learning amongst them—needs to be dealt effectively. This hypothesis is analogous to the concept of “Knowledge inertia”—a term proposed by Liao (2002) who laid the theoretical foundation of this concept of inertia associated with knowledge management and learning in learning organizations. However, the new fangled theory of Gen inertia is a step forward which intimately investigates the problem and the factors that leads to inertia in the knowledge growth trajectory; i.e., what leads to apathy and indifference on the part of the employees who fall behind their learning curve? Why do they fall behind the learning curve? Where lays the problem and, what is the nature of such a problem?
Problems in Organizational Learning
When we start to analyze a problem, we attempt to disentangle it by bits and pieces to understand what the problem is, and how to find or device a solution for it. For it all falls back to logical discourse in the most formal sense. The problem of inertia in learning amongst the employees is what that often reflects in their overall performances. This however, mandates identifying problems in organizational learning itself. Inertia in learning amongst the employees may give rise to organizational knowledge inertia. One of the primary reasons behind this problem of Gen inertia is the lack of proper learning, or, inadequate training of the workforce. Therefore, insufficient learning leads to impaired acquisition of useful knowledge. Employees apply knowledge in goal-oriented activities in their organizations. Impaired acquisition of new knowledge forces them to use old knowledge to deal with new, emerging strategic problems. Since acquisition of knowledge is important in addition to skill development and training, organizations should be able to cultivate efficient practice of learning related to their organizational goals. Knowledge managers should be able to identify problems related to workforce education, and advocate proper solutions to deal with any impediments that might lead to inertia in the knowledge trajectory. In simple words, employees should be encouraged to learn beyond their usual job routines. In such context, the theory of Gen inertia proposes a framework which helps to identify the factors that acts as barriers affecting workforce learning, as well as to understand how constraints in organizational learning results in organizational Gen inertia. The theory, furthermore, examines the causes and the contexts associated with learning inertia that leads to impaired acquisition of relevant knowledge that the workforce requires in their routine activities related to their goal-oriented behaviour.
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