Learning Organizations

Simply put, a learning organization is one that is skilled at learning. However, since the concept rose to prominence during the 1990s, the precise nature of the learning and the characteristics of a learning organization have been the source of much debate. Many models have emerged, each describing different combinations of features that typify a learning organization and each assuming that these features lead to improved performance. The models vary in terms of their emphasis on who is learning (e.g., management as opposed to nonmanagement employees, individuals or groups as opposed to the organization as a whole); what is being learned (e.g., knowledge of competitors, new technologies, new job skills); how learning is taking place (e.g., activities for creating, sharing, storing, or applying new knowledge); ...