Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015 51
COMPANY VISION AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
Vojko Toman
vojko.toman@siol.net
Abstract
The effectiveness of a company is largely dependent on the company itself; it depends above all on its corporate gov-
ernance, management, and implementation, as well as on decision-making processes and coordination. Many authors
believe that organizational learning and knowledge are the most relevant aspects of company effectiveness. If a com-
pany wants to be effective it needs to create and realize its vision; to do this, it needs creativity, imagination, and
knowledge, which can be obtained or enhanced through learning. This paper defines vision, learning, creativity and
management and, above all, their relationships. The author argues that company vision influences the learning and
knowledge of employees in the company through the vision’s content, through the vision-creating process, and through
the vision enforcement process. Conversely, the influence of learning on company vision is explained. The paper is
aimed at the use in the practice of companies and helps them to increase their effectiveness.
Keywords: vision, learning, organisational learning, vision creating, vision enforcement
1 INTRODUCTION
Many authors believe that learning and knowl-
edge are the most relevant aspects of a company’s
effectiveness and, therefore, its strategic competi-
tive advantage. Although I agree on the importance
of learning and knowledge, I wonder whether some
authors do not overemphasize their models of or-
ganizational learning and knowledge management
in comparison to general management and other
organisational processes within the company. Based
on management and organisational processes, I
place strong emphasis on vision, learning, knowl-
edge and creativity and their connections.
In scientific literature as well as in practice,
there is a common understanding about the impor-
tance of vision, learning, knowledge, and creativity
in terms of the effectiveness of the company. There
are some differences between the definitions of
these phenomena and even more so in their mutual
relationships with one another and how they relate
to management. While these phenomena are much
studied, less attention has been devoted to their re-
lationships and especially to their connection to
management. It is not surprising that, in theory and
practice, there is significant confusion about these
relationships and how they relate to management.
Some of the issues concerned in this context in-
clude (1) how vision affects the learning of employ-
ees in the company; (2) how strategies fulfill the
vision in terms of learning; (3) how to create a vision
for the company that builds on knowledge and
learning; (4) how learning and knowledge are used
in creating the vision; (5) how we use vision for
learning and for applying knowledge; (6) how learn-
ing and knowledge influence the process of creating
avision; (7) how the process of creating a vision im-
pacts learning and knowledge. Can we create
knowledge that allows greater creativity? Is there
perhaps a vision that can significantly connect learn-
ing and knowledge to management? If a company
wants to be effective, it needs to create and imple-
ment a vision; to do this, it needs knowledge and
creativity, which can be acquired and/or increased
through learning. 
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to an
increase in the effectiveness of companies by dis-
cussing and showing a better understanding of the
vision, learning, knowledge, creativity and manage-
Vol. 4, No. 2, 51-60
doi:10.17708/DRMJ.2015.v04n02a04
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015
Vojko Toman: Company Vision and Organizational Learning
52
ment relationships within the company. This will en-
able companies better utilization of their strengths
and opportunities within the environment, thereby
increasing their competitiveness and hence, render-
ing them more effective.
The basic aim of this paper is to theoretically
examine vision, learning, knowledge, creativity, and
management, to clarify some uncertainties and pre-
viously stated questions with an emphasis on their
relationships and, above all, how vision affects the
learning of employees in the company. The stated
problem is approached by clearly defining the ob-
jects of study and clarifying their mutual relation-
ships. The study is based on an in-depth theoretical
conceptualization. The first part of the paper pro-
vides the qualitative research with a systematic
presentation of basic concepts: vision, learning, cre-
ativity, and management. The second part of the
paper explains how company vision influences the
learning of employees.
2 BASIC CONCEPTS OF VISION,
ORGANIZATION LEARNING, CREATIVITY
AND MANAGEMENT
2.1 Vision
In scientific and professional literature there
are similar, yet to some extent, different definitions
of vision. Rozman and Kovač (2012, p. 167) under-
stand “company vision” as the internal image of the
possible and desired position of the company in the
future. For Nanus (1992, p. 8), the vision is the real,
credible and attractive future of the company. Kha-
tri, Templer and Budhwar (2012, p. 40) define vision
as realistic and useful ideas or goals that are bene-
ficial in the long run for the benefit of the company’s
followers and the system of which they are a part.
Kotter and Cohen (2003, p. 64) consider that vision
shows the final state to where plans and strategies
will deliver the company.
We can conclude that a company’s vision is an
image of the desired and possible state of the com-
pany in the future, which causes creative tension,
triggers the process of unifying employees with the
company and motivates employees to achieve it, and
is the basis for a more detailed determination of
goals and ways to achieve them. The company’s vi-
sion is created on the basis of the perceptions of the
environment, strategic thinking, and imagination.
Although there are many reasons for defining
the vision, I believe that the main reasons for defin-
ing company vision are the following: it influences
company effectiveness, directs its development, co-
ordinates and ensures uniformity in the company
(and, therefore, functioning of employees in the
same direction), requires innovations, and moti-
vates and inspires the realization of changes and in-
novations.
Many researchers have described a range of dif-
ferent vision characteristics. These characteristics de-
pend on the individual company and its environment,
which will dictate which vision characteristics are
more desirable. Nevertheless, I believe that every vi-
sion must have at least most of the following charac-
teristics: attractiveness, orientation, provocation,
stimulation, meaningfulness, brevity, clarity, simplic-
ity, uniqueness, imaginativeness, and feasibility.
The vision should define the business (effec-
tiveness of business and business functions) while
addressing the following elements: the nature of
the business, the competitive arena, technology,
human resources, socio-economic goals or concerns
for the survival the company, advantages of the
business, and concern regarding company image.
When it is appropriate and possible to capture the
essence of the vision in a short sentence or slogan,
the vision may also include a slogan (usually placed
at the beginning of the vision statement); however,
this is not realy necessary.
There is also the question of how far in the fu-
ture the vision should reach. Three, five, ten or
even more years? To answer the question, it is im-
portant to pay attention to the question: when the
vision will be achieved? Moreover, it is most impor-
tant to create a new vision until that point. In addi-
tion to maturity of vision, it is also important to note
the validation of the vision. Continuous validation
of the vision is a necessary process that can be af-
fected by various factors. The company could verify
the validity of the vision once a year, perhaps at the
same time, when updating the strategic plan.
Because there is much misunderstanding in
both theory and practice concerning vision on one
hand and company mission on the other, let us ex-
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015 53
plain the difference. The mission of the company is
a relatively durable and unique purpose (of exis-
tence), which determines the type of business and
the focus of its development according to the values
and expectations of stakeholders, and is the basis
for a more detailed determination of company goals
and ways to achieve them (Toman, 2013). The dif-
ference between vision and mission regarding their
purpose is significant. The mission is the answer to
the question of why a company exists (to be useful
to stakeholders), while vision is the answer to the
question of what the company wants to achieve in
the future.
2.2 Organisational learning
In the scientific and professional literature, sim-
ilar but also different definitions of organisational
learning exist. Learning is an individual acquisition
or modification of information, knowledge, under-
standing, attitudes, values, skills, competencies or
behaviors through experience, practice, study or in-
struction (ISCED, 2012, p. 7). Learning is the act of
acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing existing
knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences
and may involve synthesizing different types of in-
formation (Learning, 2014). Learning in organiza-
tions refers to the continuous testing of experience
and the transformation of that experience into
knowledge, accessible to the whole organization
and relevant to its core purpose (Senge, Kleiner,
Roberts, Ross & Smith, 2002, p. 49).
Learning takes place inside individuals; how-
ever, within a company, these individuals do not
learn independently from one another. Rozman and
Sitar (2007, p. 5) suggest that it is, in fact, the organ-
isation that keeps individual members (and the so-
cial unit) together, and creates the synergy of the
social unit. Individual learning, which takes place
through relationships, coordination, and conflicts, is
called “learning by connectivity”, and we refer to it
as “organisational learning”. Rozman and Sitar
(2007, p. 13) therefore conclude that organisational
learning is the learning of connected individuals and
the sum of the learning of connected individual
members. Nevis, Dibella and Gould (1995) define
organisational learning as the capacity or processes
within an organisation to maintain or improve per-
formance based on experience. They see learning
as a systems-level phenomenon, because it stays
within the organisation, even if individuals change.
Simon (1991, p. 125) believes that social units learn
in two ways: by the learning of their members or by
including new members who have knowledge the
social units did not previously have. Organisational
learning can be conceived of as a principal means
of achieving the strategic renewal of an enterprise
(Crossan, Lane & White, 1999, p. 522). Organisa-
tional learning involves acquiring and using new
knowledge; however, new knowledge is of little
value unless it is made available to people who need
it and is used by them (Yukl, 2006, p. 308–309). 
Organiaational learning is the learning of em-
ployees who are connected within the company or
in teams. This means that companies do not learn;
rather, employees learn. The two aspects are
nonetheless related. The organisational learning of
employees within the company is individual learn-
ing, which is directed and coordinated with their po-
sition in the company. Throughout the rest of this
paper, the general term “learning” (according to
which we understand organisational learning or
learning by connectivity, which prevails within the
company and in teamwork) will be used.
2.3 Creativity
Cummings and Oldham (1997, p. 23) define
employees’ creativity as individually generating new
and useful products, ideas, and procedures that are
the raw materials for innovation (through the devel-
opment and implementation of new ideas busi-
nesses are able to innovate). Amabile (1997, p. 40)
believes that creativity is, in essence, a simple pro-
duction of suitable new ideas. She adds that the
ideas must be new, that is different from what has
been done before, but cannot be simply bizarre;
ideas should be appropriate to the presented prob-
lem or opportunity. She sees creativity as the first
step in innovation, which is the successful imple-
mentation of new and relevant ideas. Mayer (1994,
p. 69–70) states that creativity is:
• characteristic of the human species, and may ex-
ceed something already created;
• an original response of a people to new situations
and problems, constructive adaptation to changes
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015
Vojko Toman: Company Vision and Organizational Learning
54
in oneself and in the environment, and the cre-
ation of new products, models, situations, circum-
stances, and relationships;
• the process of creating and implementing new
ideas in models, plans, visions, theories, deci-
sions, services, products, actions, interpersonal
relations and communication, art work, etc.;
• the process of interaction between intelligence,
personality traits, emotions, motives, conscious,
subconscious and intuitive processes.
According to Amabile (1997, p. 39), there is sig-
nificant evidence indicating that people are more
creative when they are motivated internally rather
than externally by expected evaluations, surveil-
lance, competition between colleagues, or superiors
dictating or promising a reward.
Through learning, the company creates knowl-
edge, which allows employees greater creativity. For
example, if employees are learning within the con-
text of teamwork, perhaps using methods like brain-
storming will have an impact on the greater
creativity of all employees. Thus, through learning
and gained knowledge, which allows greater creativ-
ity, we can increase the chances that stakeholders
will create a better vision.
2.4 Management
Management essentially consists of business
and organisational planning, the actuation (HRM
and leadership) of organisation, and organisational
and business control. Vision is created within by the
strategic business planning. In the context of man-
agement, planning is important, particularly strate-
gic planning. According to Rozman (1995, p. 112),
strategic planning process consists of the following
phases: analysis of the company, analysis, and fore-
casting environment, setting goals, defining strate-
gies and presenting the strategic plan (the result of
strategic planning process). The vision is the broad
goal and simultaneously the basis for a more de-
tailed definition of the goals (indicative goals, de-
tailed goals) and ways in which to achieve them.
Since the context is strategic planning, these ways
(to achieve goals) are strategies. The strategies are
determined within the strategic plans; if properly
implemented, they promise to achieve the (strate-
gic) goals (Toman, 2003, p. 50). The strategies are
developed based on the analysis and forecast of the
environment and the internal analysis as well as
proposed goals.
In business management, more emphasis can be
given to some important areas, such as quality, cre-
ativity, learning, and similar issues. Thus, we can talk
of corresponding kinds of management. Rozman and
Sitar (2007) define knowledge management and ex-
plain the differences between knowledge manage-
ment and organisational learning. According to them,
knowledge management consists of the aforemen-
tioned managerial processes but focuses on learning
and knowledge as its result. In contrast, organisa-
tional learning represents the process of acquiring,
using, and sharing knowledge. Management process
assures that organisational learning is conducted
within the company in the most successful way. Roz-
man and Sitar see knowledge management as assur-
ing the rationality of the learning process, whereas
organizational learning aims at achieving and using
knowledge.
Management (also knowledge management) is
very important in the vision-creating process, as
well as in the vision enforcement and vision imple-
mentation process.
3 INFLUENCE OF VISION ON EMPLOYEES’
ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING WITHIN
THE COMPANY
In our opinion, there are three ways in which
the vision can influence the learning of employees
within the company, through:
• vision content,
• vision-creating process, and
• vision enforcement process.
3.1 The influence of vision on organisational
learning through vision content
The influence of the vision content on two
learning aspects exists. First is the influence of the
vision content in relation to basic elements that
should be included in the vision itself. The planned
elements of the vision (such as the nature of the
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015 55
business, the competitive arena, technology, human
resources, socio-economic goals or concerns for the
survival the company, advantages of the business
and a concern regarding company image) indirectly
impose requirements,which managers and other
stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers,
owners, etc.) should include in vision statement dur-
ing the vision creation process and again in the vi-
sion enforcement process. The planned elements of
the vision form the basis for a range of stakeholders
with the necessary knowledge, skills and motiva-
tion. Later, the structure of stakeholders significantly
influences learning and thereby, the creation and
enforcement of the vision. 
In a company with no diversity of opinions, no
diversity in actions, no conflicts, and no different ex-
pectations, there is a chronic lack of creativity,
which is essential for creating a high-quality vision.
If, in the vision-creating process, only stakeholders
with knowledge about products and technologies
are included, the created vision will be very different
than if other stakeholders from other areas and with
different interests would also be included in the
process.
The second influence on the creation of vision
in terms of learning is in relation to human re-
sources (as a specific element of the vision), or if we
want to specifically address learning, organisational
learning and knowledge management in the con-
tent of the vision. In this case, learning will be a
component of the created vision and be enforced
as an integral element of the vision. Thus, in the vi-
sion, the company can emphasize teamwork as an
important element of the vision, which can lead to
the learning of creativity; this will, in turn, lead to
greater creativity and innovation. From the vision
the company thus derives goals and appropriate
strategies (for example, recruiting people who have
the knowledge and the necessary skills for team-
work); in this way, the vision content can have a
strong influence on learning within the company.
With such strategies, the gap between existing and
planned knowledge (and learning) can be rectified.
Furthermore, the vision also inspires and, therefore,
encourages employees to use their knowledge, in
particular, to think and research, which is the foun-
dation for successful learning and creativity.
3.2 The influence of vision on organisational
learning through the vision-creating process 
A significant influence on the learning of em-
ployees in the company is presented in the vision-
creating process. In our opinion, the process consists
of seven successive steps, namely: (1) the manage-
ment team creates a vision; (2) stakeholders’ team
(including managers) creates a vision; (3) discussion
amongst managers about the created vision; (4) dis-
cussion amongst stakeholders (including managers)
about the created vision; (5) confirmation of the vi-
sion by managers; (6) confirmation of the vision by
stakeholders; (7) enforcement of the vision. In the vi-
sion-creating process, it is reasonable to follow the
successive steps as this will influence the learning of
stakeholders and/or the resulting vision. Since the
creation of the vision is executed via teamwork, the
learning of stakeholders takes place in almost all suc-
cessive steps of the vision-creating process (except
in two formal confirmations). The following is a brief
description of the first step, i.e., the management
team creating a vision.
In the first step, top managers along with other
managers of the company create a management
team, which then creates a vision. The first phase is
an analysis of the company and the environment;
in this phase, we analyze the areas in relation to the
basic elements or content of the vision. Analysis of
the company and the environment needs to be
done for as far back into the past as we want to go
forward with the future of the vision. In doing so,
we have to focus mainly on positive elements,
events, experiences, findings, and other elements.
We are looking for the best aspects of the company
and the environment, and the factors that enable
these. Individual content is required, particularly in
terms of questions about when the company was
the best and why. What were the successful mo-
ments? Of course, negative aspects, events, and ex-
periences should not be ignored, but there should
be the ratio of 80:20 for the positive. All this, in ad-
dition to teamwork and coordination (of relation-
ships), influences learning and directs it.
The following step is to predict the environ-
ment and create scenarios. This takes into account
several policies, such as the forecasting period being
twice as long as the horizon of the vision, there
being no running evaluations or judgments about
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015
Vojko Toman: Company Vision and Organizational Learning
56
the possible influence of predictions on the vision,
and others. Although predicting the environment
and scenarios is a rational approach, there are also
creative components that will inspire stakeholders
for later phases of creating the future vision.
The next phase is the creation of the future of
the company in which, based on analysis of the
company and the environment, on knowledge, ex-
perience, aspirations, emotions and intuition, be-
gins the noblest part of the vision-creating process.
This future is created in relation to the basic ele-
ments or contents of the vision, which serves as a
framework for creative thinking. The basic question
is how we imagine the elements (contents of the vi-
sion) in the future (e. g. in five years, if we create a
vision with a horizon of five years). It is important
to visualize this future, as this contributes greatly to
a sense of clarity concerning the future. Creating the
future of the company provides many alternatives
within the content of the vision.
The next phase is a creative break, which can
appear to be without any benefits, but is, in fact, the
opposite. After creating a vision for the future of the
company, the process should be interrupted for at
least one week. In this way, we can take advantage
of the individual creative process by allowing the
conscious and subconscious mind of the individual
to reach a maturation stage as it relates to the vision
that will eliminate many potential blocks and gen-
erate new ideas.
In continuing the creation of the future of the
company, we first have to broadly review and re-
fresh the process of creating the future and its re-
sults. These exercises help stakeholders to think
once again and generate ideas within this particular
context. This is followed by systematic implementa-
tion of creating this future (as previously described),
which is now faster because it is built on the basis
of the already obtained results; new ideas that have
emerged during the creative break or the continua-
tion of creating the future are added.
The next phase is choosing the future of the
company, in which the vision is created in three
steps. The first is based on the created futures (al-
ternative futures within the elements or contents of
the vision), in which we select the most important
alternative futures within a particular element or
content of the vision. In the second step, based on
the selected alternatives within the contents of the
vision, we create more alternative visions. In the
third step, the alternative visions are evaluated, and
the vision of the company is selected. When select-
ing a vision among alternative visions, we rely on
three evaluation or selection criteria, which have al-
ready been prepared in the analysis phase of the
company and its environment; these are the char-
acteristics of the vision, scenarios, and additional el-
ements. Additional elements by which to assess
alternative visions include the expected mission,
values and the culture of the company.
Next, we design the chosen vision of the com-
pany in accordance with certain stylistic and linguis-
tic policies and the desired characteristics of the
vision. Then, based on the entire vision, a slogan can
be created that in one short sentence captures the
essence of the vision.
In all the steps of the vision-creating process, the
skills, knowledge, learning, and creativity of man-
agers and other employees (as well as other stake-
holders) are very important. When creating the
future of the company, we draw from the experience,
knowledge, and skills, creating something new, and
we learn. Learning how to create is important, be-
cause in practice, we often simply do not know how
to do it and, therefore, do not do it. The actual
process of creating itself is also a learning process.
The creative break provides the subconscious and
unconscious the opportunity to learn and create.
Throughout the vision-creating process, there is
teamwork involved, which is one of the essential as-
pects of the process and a key influence on learning.
Through relationships within the team, individuals in-
fluence each other. However, successful teamwork
requires an appropriate team structure and coordi-
nation of the relationships involved. In the vision-cre-
ating process, stakeholders who have the knowledge,
skills, motivation and the common goal of creating a
new vision must work together. Through teamwork,
stakeholders learn creativity. Moreover, through such
organisational learning, they create more and better
knowledge than through individual learning only.
People see the same things from different perspec-
tives. These are mental models (mentioned by many
authors, e. g. Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross&Smith,
2002, p. 49) used. The mental model is different for
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015 57
each individual; it can be a major obstacle or a major
advantage in creating new knowledge. The results
are that more people can see the same things from
different perspectives, thus creating a wider, clearer,
better picture of the future.
Based on my experience, I suggest that compa-
nies use the vision-creating process described in this
paper. This process utilizes teamwork and organi-
zational learning that leads to increased creativity
and motivation, not only in the vision-creating
process but also in the enforcement and implemen-
tation of the vision. We can reasonably expect that
there will be differences between the vision-creat-
ing process of the company that places great impor-
tance on learning (and knowledge) and the
company that does not. Another company may not
emphasize learning and knowledge because man-
agers will be creating a vision themselves and then
communicate it to employees. For another com-
pany, a vision might be created only by the top man-
ager, who might communicate it to employees. Such
a company is likely to emphasize efficiency, while
creativity and innovation will take a backseat within
the process as a whole.
3.3 The influence of vision on organisational
learning through the vision enforcement
process
In order to implement the vision, an enforce-
ment process is carried out, which is the part of the
management process in which the vision is mostly
visible externally. The vision is enforced through re-
cruitment and leadership (which consists of lead-
ership in the narrow sense, communication, and
motivation), which is an integral part of the man-
agement process.
Recruitment and the entire HRM process are
very important in terms of enforcing the vision. If the
top manager does not have the right people working
together, enforcing the new vision will be very diffi-
cult. Employees who do not have the same values do
not have similar views about the vision, who do not
want to participate in creating the vision or are no-
taligned with the company’s vision will not contribute
to the enforcement and implementation of the vision
in a way that supportive employees will. If the com-
pany already has a vision, it is necessary to recruit
people who will accept this vision and will want to
implement it. Additionally, management must know
what knowledge is needed for realizing the vision
and must also ensure this knowledge through appro-
priate learning and/or through new employees.
After reviewing a variety of scientific and techni-
cal literature, it is my belief that there is no general
and comprehensive theory of leadership. Rozman et
al. (1993) define leadership as influencing the behav-
ior or actions of individuals or a group within the com-
pany, as well as the guidance of their actions to
achieve the goals set by the company. The vision is
otherwise primarily considered by leadership when it
is communicated to employees and in motivating (en-
couraging, inspiring) them to accept it. When we talk
about leadership in the strict sense, we have to keep
in mind the characteristics of leaders, because em-
ployees trust leaders in terms of the way they work,
their leadership styles, and their skills. All of this has
a significant influence on employee motivation in the
context of learning and using knowledge. The exam-
ple set by leaders is therefore of utmost importance.
Many authors emphasize the importance of the
dissemination and communication of vision, which is
often neglected or even forgotten. The vision is in it-
self something new and, as such, represents a change
in the company. Changes require learning; addition-
ally, they usually inspire opposition in people. With
regard to the volume or quantity of communicating
a vision, it should be emphasized that communica -
tion is one of the most important tasks of managers;
however, in practice, this aspect is almost always
chronically lacking. Additionally, through the commu-
nication of the vision, it is necessary to realize that
people often observe situations selectively. For this
reason, it is extremely important to communicate the
vision, due to the significant influence communica-
tion has on what people hear, see and learn. If em-
ployees have the same ideas about a created vision,
their learning will also be focused on achieving the
same goals; thus, learning will be more efficient and
effective. In general, communication of the vision
makes the vision clear, alive and worth achieving.
Vision can be enforced by force or by motivat-
ing people to achieve it. The best opportunity for
realizing the company vision is to have employees
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015
Vojko Toman: Company Vision and Organizational Learning
58
who want to achieve it, and do so by learning, gath-
ering knowledge, and acting in a coordinated man-
ner towards the realization of the vision. In terms of
the vision, we can highlight two aspects of the rela-
tionship between vision and motivation:
  1. Vision as the goal of motivating employees
(people are motivated by appropriate motiva-
tors, i.e., they want to realize the vision), and
  2. Vision as a means of motivating employees (the
vision motivating people to achieve it, for better
results and a greater sense of satisfaction).
Employees who are motivated and who want
to realize the vision will also be more effective at
learning.
Managers influence the enforcement of the
company vision from the first day they start talking
about creating a vision and continue to do so
through communication and the example they set,
which has a significant influence on stakeholders
and thus on stakeholders learning. Only stakehold-
ers who have relevant information and who partic-
ipate in the vision-creating process will be highly
motivated for its enforcement and implementation.
If the vision of the company is attractive, ori-
ented, provoked, stimulating, meaningful, has
brevity, is clear, simple, unique, imaginative and fea-
sible, it will encourage employees to create new
ways in which to realize the vision. If the vision ex-
poses learning and knowledge through its contents,
we have to develop appropriate strategies that will
enable us to achieve or realize such a vision. To cre-
ate these strategies, we need to learn; on the one
hand, we can learn individually and acquire skills
that are considered to be necessary or lacking; on
the other hand, we learn (organisational learning)
in teams. Appropriate strategies need to be created
to realize the vision; however, managers might plan
to acquire certain needed knowledge by recruiting
new employees. Prompt control should be main-
tained in achieving the realization of the vision and
regarding individual learning plans.
The presence of a vision encourages teamwork
and thereby learning. With a vision, we can encour-
age the use of existing knowledge and the generation
of new knowledge. If employees adopt a vision as
their own and want to achieve it (not because they
must, but because they want to), they will also want
to contribute to its achievement on their own initia-
tive, as well as want to acquire the necessary skills
and apply these skills together with colleagues to
achieve the desired common vision. Of course, man-
agement has to carry out coordination within the
company, but in the case of a desired, common vision,
management primarily needs to support employees
and provide operant conditions (learning, creating
and implementing) for them to achieve the vision.
3.4 The influence of employees’ organisational
learning on the company vision
Thus far, we have considered the influence of vi-
sion on the learning of employees within the com-
pany; however, learning also influences the
company’s vision. Learning influences the content of
the vision, the vision-creating process and the vision
enforcement process; thus, it influences knowledge
and creativity. As such, learning influences the quality
of the results of these two processes and, therefore,
the created vision and its implementation. As learn-
ing influences vision it therefore also influences the
company’s effectiveness (Toman, 2013). Through the
vision content, the vision-creating process, and the
vision enforcement process knowledge, learning and
creativity influence the company’s effectiveness.
Learning and knowledge are both required in
creating a vision. Managers (and stakeholders) have
to determine what knowledge stakeholders need and
expect to gain, as the latter are necessary for creating
a vision. In addition, it is often necessary to learn how
the knowledge they (individual stakeholders) already
possess can be properly utilized in the vision-creating
process. Stakeholders must learn various techniques
(such as brainstorming) that will allow the exploita-
tion of existing knowledge in terms of creating some-
thing new; that is creating a vision.
4 CONCLUSION
The largest contribution of this study is re-
flected in clarifying some uncertainties and advising
on the importance of vision in relation to learning,
creativity, management and the effectiveness of the
company. Relating to the theoretical conceptualiza-
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015 59
tion, it is identified that the vision influences the
learning of employees in the company through the
vision content, the vision-creating process, and the
vision enforcement process. Additionally, the influ-
ence of employees’ learning on the company vision
is outlined.
If a company wishes to be effective it needs to
create and implement a vision; to do so, it needs
knowledge and creativity, which can be acquired
and/or increased by learning. Companies do not
learn; instead, employees learn but these two as-
pects are related. This is referred to as organisational
learning, through which the company can create
knowledge, which allows employees greater creativ-
ity and, therefore, increases the chances that stake-
holders will create a better vision. Management (as
well as knowledge management) is very important in
the vision-creating process as well as in the vision en-
forcement and implementation process.
The vision influences the learning of employees
in the company through the vision content, the vi-
sion-creating process, and the vision enforcement
process. Through the influence of the vision content
on learning, two aspects are highlighted. First, the
influence of the vision content in relation to basic
elements that should beincluded in the vision; sec-
ond, in relation to human resources, the influence
of the vision on learning is a specific element of the
vision we wish to highlight.
The vision-creating process has a significant in-
fluence on the learning of employees in the com-
pany. In all steps of the vision-creating process, the
skills, knowledge, learning and creativity of the stake-
holders is important. The vision-creating process re-
quires teamwork, which is an essential element of
this process and an important influence on learning.
Through the relationship, individuals influence one
another. However, successful teamwork requires ap-
propriate team structure and coordination of the re-
lationships involved. In the vision-creating process,
stakeholders who have the knowledge, skills, moti-
vation and the common goal of creating a new vision,
must work together. Through such organisational
learning, they can create more and better knowledge
than they would through individual learning alone.
In order to implement the vision, we carried
out an enforcement process, which is the part of the
management process in which the vision is mostly
visible externally. The vision is enforced through re-
cruitment and leadership (which consists of leader-
ship in the strictest sense, communication, and
motivation). The vision is in itself something new
and, as such, represents a change in the company.
Changes, in turn, require learning.
Through the creation of a vision, we encourage
teamwork and thereby learning. This process further
encourages the use of existing knowledge and the
generating of new knowledge. If employees adopt a
vision as their own and want to achieve it (not be-
cause they must, but because they want to), they will
also want to contribute to its achievement on their
own initiative, as well as want to acquire the neces-
sary skills and use them, together with colleagues,for
achieving thedesiredcommonvision. Learning and
knowledge are relevant to the effectiveness of the
company and, therefore, are competitive advantage
today and in the future even more so.
EXTENDED SUMMARY / IZVLEČEK
Uspešno poslovanje podjetja je v največji meri odvisno od podjetja samega, torej od upravljanja,
ravnanja in izvajanja oziroma od procesa odločanja in usklajevanja. Če hoče biti podjetje uspešno,
mora ustvariti in uresničiti vizijo, za to pa potrebuje znanje in ustvarjalnost, ki ju lahko pridobi oziroma
poveča z učenjem. Poleg jasnih opredelitev vizije, učenja, ustvarjanja in ravnanja (management), je
v prispevku pojasnjen vpliv vizije na učenje zaposlenih v podjetju preko vsebine vizije, preko procesa
ustvarjanja vizije in preko procesa uveljavljanja vizije. Pri vplivu vsebine vizije na učenje sta izpostavl-
jena dva vidika. Prvi je vpliv vsebine vizije na učenje v povezavi z osnovnimi elementi, ki naj bi jih
vsebovala vizija. Drugi vidik vpliva vsebine vizije na učenje je v povezavi s kadri (kot specifičnim ele-
mentom vizije), ki ga morda želimo posebej izpostaviti. Velik vpliv na učenje zaposlenih v podjetju
Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, November 2015
Vojko Toman: Company Vision and Organizational Learning
60
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predstavlja proces ustvarjanja vizije. V vseh korakih procesa ustvarjanja vizije so pomembni znanje,
učenje in ustvarjalnost deležnikov. V celotnem procesu ustvarjanja vizije ima timsko delo, ki je eden
od bistvenih elementov procesa ustvarjanja vizije, izredno pomemben vpliv na učenje. V timskem
delu posamezniki preko povezav oz. razmerij vplivajo drug na drugega. Seveda pa je za uspešno tim-
sko delo potrebna ustrezna sestava tima in koordinacija odnosov. V procesu ustvarjanja vizije morajo
sodelovati deležniki, ki imajo znanje, sposobnosti, motivacijo in skupni cilj – to je ustvariti vizijo.
Ravno preko takšnega organizacijskega učenja ustvarjajo več in boljše znanje, kot bi ga samo z indi-
vidualnim učenjem posameznika izven tima. Za izvedbo vizije poskrbimo s procesom uveljavljanja,
ki je tisti del upravljalno-ravnalnega procesa, kjer se vizijo največkrat vidi tudi navzven. Vizija se uvel-
javlja s kadrovanjem in vodenjem (ki je sestavljeno iz vodenja v ožjem smislu, komuniciranja in mo-
tiviranja), ki sta sestavna dela upravljalno-ravnalnega procesa. Vizija je že sama po sebi nekaj novega
in kot taka predstavlja spremembo v podjetju. Spremembe zahtevajo učenje.
Z vizijo spodbujamo timsko delo in s tem učenje. Z vizijo spodbujamo uporabo že pridobljenega
znanja in pridobivanje novega znanja. Če zaposleni sprejmejo vizijo za svojo in jo želijo uresničiti (ne
zato, ker jo morejo, ampak ker jo hočejo), potem bodo tudi samoiniciativno želeli v največji meri
prispevati k njenemu uresničevanju in si bodo samoiniciativno želeli pridobivati potrebna znanja in
ta znanja tudi uporabljati skupaj s sodelavci pri uresničevanju skupne želene vizije. Učenje in znanje
sta pomembna za uspešnost podjetja in sta tako njegova konkurenčna prednost že danes, v prihod-
nosti pa bosta še toliko bolj.