Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions

Linda Argote (), Sunkee Lee () and Jisoo Park ()
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Linda Argote: Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Sunkee Lee: Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Jisoo Park: Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213

Management Science, 2021, vol. 67, issue 9, 5399-5429

Abstract: We trace the evolution of research on organizational learning. As organizations acquire experience, their performance typically improves at a decreasing rate. Although this learning-curve pattern is found in many industries, organizations vary in the rate at which they learn. In order to understand this variation, we separate organizational learning into four processes: search, knowledge creation, knowledge retention, and knowledge transfer. Within each process, we present research on how dimensions of experience and of the organizational context affect learning processes and outcomes. Our goals are to describe major findings and to identify opportunities for future research. The article concludes with a discussion of research directions that are likely to be productive in the future. These directions include investigating how new technological and organizational developments are likely to affect organizational learning.

Keywords: organizational learning; learning curves; search; knowledge creation; knowledge retention; knowledge transfer; organizational memory; transactive memory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:67:y:2021:i:9:p:5399-5429

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