TRANSFORMING BUSINESS UNITS OF U. S. POSTAL SERVICE INTO A LEARNING ORGANIZATION

Abstract

The goal of this evaluation study is to improve the work environment in each business unit of the Central Illinois Performance Cluster (CIPC) within the U. S. Postal Service (USPS). To accomplish this objective we plan to institutionalize the “Action Imperatives” of a Learning Organization, taken from “Dimensions of the Learning Organization instrument by Marsick and Watkins. The measurement instrument used is the Employee Opinion Survey (EOS), which is completed quarterly by 25% of USPS workforce. To date, the participation rate of the survey has increased by 25% and the favorable rating rose by 4.1%, since this initiative has been undertaken. More conclusive evidence will be available at the end of this 3-year study. The secondary goal is to explore the relationships between various interventions with individuals, leading to team interactions derived from the results of the EOS. At the end of each evaluation period a comparison is made with prior period’s data and an Action Plan is established in each work unit. Empirical results suggest that dialogue and learning were most effective in helping teams produce positive EOS results. If this effort is successful it may be identified as a “Best Practice” for considered implementation to a wider audience.