Circular organizing and triple loop learning

A. Georges L. Romme; Arjen van Witteloostuijn

doi:10.1108/09534819910289110

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Journal of Organizational Change Management

ISSN: 0953-4814

Online from: 1988

Subject Area: Organization Studies

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Circular organizing and triple loop learning

Document Information:
Title:	Circular organizing and triple loop learning
Author(s):	A. Georges L. Romme, (Maastricht University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Maastricht, The Netherlands), Arjen van Witteloostuijn, (Maastricht University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Maastricht, The Netherlands)
Citation:	A. Georges L. Romme, Arjen van Witteloostuijn, (1999) "Circular organizing and triple loop learning", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 12 Iss: 5, pp.439 - 454
Keywords:	Electronics, Learning, Organizational design, The Netherlands
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/09534819910289110 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	MCB UP Ltd
Abstract:	The organizational learning literature distinguishes different levels of learning (zero learning and single, double and triple loop learning) in order to understand the complexity and dynamics of changes in policies, objectives, mental maps, and structures and strategies for learning. This article explores the case of an emerging new organizational design, the circular organization, in order to understand the role of triple loop learning. The circular model was developed on the basis of ideas about the relationship between organizational structure and behavior taken from theories of dynamic systems. Circular design precepts appear to provide a structural facilitation of single and double loop learning. In this respect, the circular design tends to act as a facilitating infrastructure for triple loop learning, that is, exploring the structural opportunities and key competences people need to participate in making well-informed choices about policies, objectives and other issues.