Leading and Executing Industry Change through a Learning Network

There is a widespread recognition of the fact that organizations need to continuously enhance their capabilities to be able to retain a competitive edge in a highly complex business environment. One of the mechanisms available to them is an intercorporate learning network. This paper reports on the way a learning network— National Petroleum Management Programme (NPMP)— was set up and institutionalized to address the strategic needs of the petroleum industry in India. It focuses on the external and internal drivers for change and describes the key challenges encountered in translating change. It also demonstrates the advantage of collaboration between oil and gas companies as a strategy to deal with competitive times. The objectives of setting up NPMP was to: develop among the enterprises a shared understanding on the strategic advantage of collaboration in the competitive environment to help the industry in meeting its objectives of growth and vitality act as a catalytic agent for initiating macro level changes in the policies and practices in petroleum enterprises provide a range of learning opportunities and services. The dynamics of the Network provide a critical lens for analysing how change is impacted and dealt with in the petroleum industry in India. The author addresses some of the management issues involved in the process. The challenges include: motivating members to participate on a joint cost-sharing basis building upon and dissemination of new knowledge translating change through the Learning Network. Finally, the author points out the implications for HR professionals and suggests what new skills and competencies they need to develop for managing change.