Organizational learning

Organizational learning is the process by which organizations create, retain, and transfer knowledge, improving their collective ability to interpret and respond to internal and external environments (Argyris C., Schön D.A. 1978, p.29)^[1]. The company made the same mistake three years ago. Nobody remembers. New team, same problem, same failed solution. This is organizational learning failure—knowledge that should have been captured and transferred was lost. Effective organizations learn from experience, encode lessons into routines and memory, and apply accumulated wisdom to new situations.

Chris Argyris and Donald Schön launched the field with their 1978 book distinguishing single-loop and double-loop learning. Single-loop learning fixes immediate problems within existing assumptions—the thermostat adjusts temperature when it deviates from the setting. Double-loop learning questions the assumptions themselves—should we change the temperature setting? Peter Senge's 1990 bestseller "The Fifth Discipline" brought these ideas to a popular audience, introducing the concept of the "learning organization" as a management ideal.

Types of learning

Organizations learn in different ways:

Single-loop learning

Error correction. When outcomes don't match expectations, adjust actions to achieve the original goal^[2].

Within-framework. Learning occurs within existing mental models and assumptions. The strategy isn't questioned—only the tactics.

Adaptive. Incremental improvements to existing approaches.

Double-loop learning

Questioning assumptions. When problems persist, examine the underlying goals and beliefs—not just the actions^[3].

Transformative. May require changing organizational values, strategies, or fundamental assumptions.

Generative. Creates new possibilities rather than just fixing problems.

Deutero-learning

Learning to learn. Organizations that develop capacity to improve their learning processes themselves.

Meta-learning. Understanding how the organization learns—and fails to learn—becomes itself a focus of learning.

Learning processes

How organizations learn:

Knowledge creation

Individual learning. Individuals acquire new knowledge through experience, experimentation, and study^[4].

Tacit and explicit. Knowledge exists as tacit (embedded in practice, hard to articulate) and explicit (codified, transferable).

Knowledge retention

Organizational memory. Knowledge gets stored in routines, procedures, systems, culture, and physical artifacts.

Forgetting. Organizations also forget—through turnover, reorganization, and neglect.

Knowledge transfer

Spreading lessons. Moving knowledge from where it's created to where it's needed^[5].

Barriers. Transfer fails due to not-invented-here syndrome, geographic distance, and lack of relationships.

The learning organization

Senge's five disciplines:

Systems thinking. Understanding interconnections and feedback loops—the "fifth discipline" that integrates others^[6].

Personal mastery. Individuals continuously clarify their vision and develop capabilities.

Mental models. Surfacing, testing, and improving internal pictures of how the world works.

Shared vision. Building genuine commitment to common goals.

Team learning. Groups developing collective capacity through dialogue and skillful discussion.

Barriers to learning

Organizations often fail to learn:

Defensive routines. Patterns that protect people from embarrassment but prevent learning from mistakes^[7].

Superstitious learning. Drawing wrong conclusions from limited experience.

Competency traps. Success with current approaches prevents experimenting with potentially better alternatives.

Core rigidities. Strengths that become weaknesses when environment changes^[8].

Contemporary perspectives

Recent research extends classic concepts:

Ambidextrous organizations. Balancing exploitation (refining current capabilities) with exploration (developing new ones).

Communities of practice. Informal groups that share knowledge around common work.

Knowledge management. Systematic approaches to capturing and sharing organizational knowledge.

Organizational learning — recommended articles

Knowledge management — Organizational development — Strategic management — Innovation management

References

• Argyris C., Schön D.A. (1978), Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective, Addison-Wesley.
• Senge P.M. (1990), The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday.
• Argote L. (2013), Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge, 2nd Edition, Springer.
• Easterby-Smith M., Lyles M.A. (2011), Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, 2nd Edition, Wiley.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Argyris C., Schön D.A. (1978), Organizational Learning, p.29
2. ↑ Senge P.M. (1990), The Fifth Discipline, pp.57-68
3. ↑ Argyris C., Schön D.A. (1978), Organizational Learning, pp.18-29
4. ↑ Argote L. (2013), Organizational Learning, pp.45-62
5. ↑ Easterby-Smith M., Lyles M.A. (2011), Handbook, pp.89-104
6. ↑ Senge P.M. (1990), The Fifth Discipline, pp.68-92
7. ↑ Argyris C., Schön D.A. (1978), Organizational Learning, pp.112-128
8. ↑ Argote L. (2013), Organizational Learning, pp.156-172

Author: Sławomir Wawak