Organizational learning : A comparison of Hong Kong and Taiwan schools

The present comparative study examined schools of Hong Kong and Taiwan in terms of their relative development toward Learning Organizations. Based on the perceived organizational learning processes and outcomes provided by 67 Hong Kong schools and 88 Taiwanese schools, public school systems from both settings all revealed a bipolar distribution such that a majority of schools seemed totally untouched by the major reform changes, while others had successfully evolved into a mature status of learning organizations. Those in other stages of evolution constituted a minority. Exploration of a list of motivating forces suggested that there were some comparable internal school factors as well as some unique contextual factors accounting for the variation of development. Interview data obtained from selected principals in various stages of school development also highlighted important leadership mentality that supplemented our understanding of the relative differences in schools' progress toward collective learning.