Organizational improvisation and learning: A field study

An inductive study of improvisation in new product development activities i n two firms uncovered a variety of improvisational forms and the factors th at shaped them. Embedded in the observations were two important linkages be tween organizational improvisation and learning. First, site observations l ed us to refine prior definitions of improvisation and view it as a distinc t type of real-time, short-term learning. Second, observation reveal,ed lin ks between improvisation and long-term organizational learning. Improvisati on interfered with some learning processes; it also sometimes played a role in long-term trial-and-error learning, and the firms displayed improvisati onal competencies. Our findings extend prior research on organizational imp rovisation and learning and provide a lens for research on entrepreneurship , technological innovation, and the fusion of unplanned change and order.