In between smorgasbord and table d’hôte: à la carte learning organization

Abstract

Purpose

To suggest how the idea of the learning organization can be adapted to fit organizations in different contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on many years of work on the idea of the learning organization and how it can be made to fit in different contexts.

Findings

Any organization that has an interest in becoming (or continuing to be) a learning organization is recommended to critically examine the relevance of each and every element of the idea of the learning organization, and thereafter construct a model of the learning organization that fits the particular organization.

Practical implications

Organizations that aim to become (or continue to be) learning organizations are offered some concrete advice as to how to examine the relevance for their particular organization of the elements that the idea of the learning organization consists of.

Originality/value

In contrast to all those who claim that the idea of the learning organization is relevant as is, without first going through any changes, to all organizations, this paper suggests that not all elements of the idea are relevant to all organizations. In contrast to those who merely suggest that each organization needs to find and adopt its own version of the learning organization, this paper offers concrete insights as to how such a process of customization actually can be conducted.

Citation

Örtenblad, A. (2016), "In between smorgasbord and table d’hôte: à la carte learning organization", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 6-9. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-07-2014-0055