Organizational Learning vs Learning Organization

They are very close, so don’t worry too much about the distinction. Organisational learning is needed if you are to be a learning organisation.

A learning organisation can be defined as one which “acquires knowledge and innovates fast enough to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment”: the organisation has to learn.

A learning organisation has to be distinguished from an organisation that simply adopts change. For example, change can be instigated and pushed through by a chief executive who is convinced that his (or her) way is correct. Employees comply with the boss’s wishes, learn new working methods and new non-current assets are bought. But following a new imposed plan is not the same as organisational learning. Successful learning implies learning the right things and learning the truth about your situation and the market so far as these can be determined. Learning to jump through a ringmaster’s arbitrary hoops is not often worthwhile learning. .