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organizational learning.pngThe science of how organizations, and the people within these, learn is a relatively new field of study. Organizational learning implies not only the acquisition of knowledge, but the use of that knowledge by employees to improve practices.

Resources listed here provide an introduction to the basic concepts of organizational learning, including a discussion of the business concept of "best practicies," as well as resources that will help guide managers through the creation of a learning organization in their work unit.

This hot topic was developed in partnership with the Research, Development, and Application Program of the U.S. Forest Service's Human Performance & Innovation and Organizational Learning.  

Conference Proceedings

Publications

2022

The US Forest Service Life First safety initiative: exploring unnecessary exposure to risk
David Flores et al.
Organisational influence on the co-production of fire science: overcoming challenges and realising opportunities

2020

Organizational learning from prescribed fire escapes: a review of developments over the last 10 years in the USA and Australia
Anne E. Black et al.

2019

Group Resilience: The Place and Meaning of Relational Pauses
Michelle Barton et al.

2018

Is organizational learning being absorbed by knowledge management? A systematic review
Delio Ignacio Castaneda et al.

2010

After-Action Reviews - who conducts them?
Anne E. Black et al.
Organizational learning contributes to guidance for managing wildland fires for multiple objectives
Tom Zimmerman et al.

2009

Silenced by fear: The nature, sources, and consequences of fear at work
Jennifer J. Kish-Gephart et al.
The Key Decision Log: facilitating high reliability and organizational learning
Anne E. Black

2007

Management Strategies for Complex Adaptive Systems Sensemaking, Learning, and Improvisation
Reuben R. McDaniel

2005

Deep smarts: how to cultivate and transfer enduring business wisdom
Dorothy Leonard et al.
On becoming an artist: reinventing yourself through mindful creativity
Ellen J. Langer
The skilled facilitator fieldbook: tips, tools and tested methods for consultants, facilitators, managers, trainers and coaches
Roger Schwarz et al.

2000

Learning in action: a guide to putting the learning organization to work
David Garvin
Working with emotional intelligence
Daniel Goleman
A theory of everything: an integral vision for business, politics, science and spirituality
Ken Wilber

1998

Improvisation as a mindset for organizational analysis
Karl E. Weick
Organizational learning activities in high-hazard industries: the logics underlying self-analysis
John S. Carroll

1997

Managing the risks of organizational accidents
James Reason
The power of mindful learning
Ellen J. Langer

1996

Drop your tools: an allegory for organizational studies
Karl E. Weick
Learning from mistakes is easier said than done: group and organizational influences on the detection and correction of human error
Amy Edmondson

1994

The fifth discipline fieldbook: strategies and tools for building a learning organization
Peter Senge et al.

1993

The collapse of sensemaking in organizations: the Mann Gulch disaster
Karl E. Weick
Organizational communication imperatives: lessons of the space program
Phillip K. Tompkins
Communities of commitment: the heart of learning organizations
Fred Kofman et al.

1992

Pinto fires and personal ethics: a script analysis of missed opportunities
Dennis Gioia

1990

The fifth discipline
Peter Senge
Military misfortunes: the anatomy of failure in war
Eliot A. Cohen et al.
Overcoming organizational defenses: facilitating organizational learning
Chris Argyris

1989

Benchmarking: the search for industry best practices that lead to superior performance
Robert C. Camp

1981

Threat rigidity effects in organizational behavior: a multilevel analysis
Barry Staw et al.