Organizational learning - Mechanisms, culture, and feasibility

The burgeoning literature on organizational learning attests to the conside rable interest engendered by 'organizational learning' and 'learning organi zations.' At the same time it indicates considerable confusion surrounding these subjects. We discuss four controversial issues regarding organization al learning: (1) What are the similarities and differences between individu al and organizational learning? (2) What are the conditions that promote pr oductive organizational learning? (3) When is organizational learning feasi ble? (4) How is organizational learning related to learning organizations? We suggest that (1) although individual and organizational learning involve information processing, they require different mechanisms to convert infor mation to actionable knowledge at different (individual vs organizational) systemic levels; (2) productive organizational learning requires a learning culture that consists of commitment to learning, valid knowledge, transpar ence, issue orientation and accountability; (3) the feasibility of organiza tional learning is enhanced by high environmental uncertainty, high costs o f potential error, high level of members' professionalism, and a strong lea dership commitment to learning, (4) learning organizations are organization s that embed institutionalized learning mechanisms within a learning cultur e.