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date: 22 January 2020

Abstract and Keywords

This chapter examines the evolution of concepts pertaining to the criticality of learning in the pursuit of organizational transformation and effectiveness. Over time, the popularity of the learning organization, learning portfolios, learning cultures, and organizational reliability has waned. Some scholars have considered these concepts within a descriptive perspective, others in a prescriptive manner. This chapter does not advocate for one perspective or paradigm over another but promotes awareness of their distinctions and how they offer different frames for comparing “organizational learning” versus the “learning organization” and “learning culture.” While scholars and practitioners are all concerned with organizational effectiveness, they point towards it in unique ways using conceptual labels that can be interpreted in diverse fashions. That often contributes to intellectual churn and further evolutions in conceptual development and popularity. Implications for the morality of learning processes and their benefit to society are considered.

Keywords: learning culture, learning organization, learning portfolio, organizational culture, organizational reliability


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