Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, Second Edition

Conclusion and Discussion

This review describes how the field of organizational learning can be understood from a social learning perspective and what social learning theories add to an understanding of organizational learning that cannot be included in an individual learning theoretical approach. In the review, we set out by characterizing the main elements of an individual approach followed by an in-depth review of organizational learning literature viewed from a social learning perspective. Finally, we refined the social learning perspective by including a pragmatist inspired understanding of organizational learning. The pragmatist approach to organizational learning echoes the philosophy from social learning theory without losing the individual capacity to inquire and enact new organizational experiences in the organizational learning processes. We have structured the answers to the governing questions of the review in four elements: the learning content; the learning process; the relation between the individual and the organization; and the organizational concepts.

Applying a social learning theory in organizational learning takes the focus of learning away from the individual mind and ‘places’ it in the organizational context as a setting for organizational learning. This means that the organizational actions directed to develop organizational learning cannot be solely focused on changing individuals’ ways of thinking but should be focused on the organizational context, its ...