Project-based companies as learning organisations: systems theory perspective

Kaj U. Koskinen

International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 2011, vol. 3, issue 1, 91-106

Abstract: The determination of viable approaches with which to help project-based companies ensure that learning takes place continuously is a very important issue. In this paper, we suggest that the systemic view provides an approach through which we may advance our understanding of the dynamics of project-based companies' learning, including both individual and social learning. This conceptual paper provides a description of a project-based company as a learning organisation using the systemic view. The discussion starts with an illustration of the concept of a project-based company. The essential components of the systemic view are then described. Following that, the concepts of learning organisations and of organisational learning are highlighted. Finally, the project-based company as a learning organisation is described. We conclude that project-based companies need to start looking at learning issues as systemic problems, rather than as problems that are solved from the standpoint of the individual, and therefore, to seek systems-integrated solutions. This means, for example, that project-based companies need to understand that they function as, and within, living, ongoing processes that require inputs, outputs, and feedback.

Keywords: project-based companies; learning organisations; systemic views; systems theories; social learning; individual learning; organisational learning; learning issues; systemic problems; systems-integrated solutions; ongoing processes; inputs; outputs; feedback; project organisation; project management. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=38866 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijpoma:v:3:y:2011:i:1:p:91-106

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Project Organisation and Management from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().