Strategic organizational learning has emerged in the new century as key to improving performance in organizations that are more decentralized and networked, less bureaucratic, and typically driven by knowledge work. The authors of this book conducted a major study in conjunction with the J.M. Huber Institute for Learning in Organizations and in collaboration with Global Executive Learning Network, to find out how innovative companies used learning strategically to address critical business challenges. This book highlights the outcomes from this study that illustrate what strategic organizational learning is and identify critical success factors for helping the whole system learn in this way. Strategic organization learning:
· Is aligned with, and differentiated by, the core strategy of an organization
· Builds the organization's capacity to proactively shape and respond to changing environments: e.g., marketplace, economic, technological, social, and cultural
· Flourishes when integrated with work activities oriented to meet business needs
· Involves individuals, but is powered by group, community, and organizational learning
· Is driven by line management

The book is structured to illustrate both the "breadth" and "depth" of strategic organizational learning: "breadth" through lessons learned from many companies, and "depth" through a closer look at the experience of selected companies to identify critical success factors and demonstrate how the system was helped to learn. The solutions shed light on both new ways of understanding and facilitating strategic organizational learning and critical success factors that organizations can take under advisement in adapting these learning strategies to other situations.


* Highlights new ways of understanding and facilitating strategic organizational learning
* Incorporates critical success factors
* Supports practitioners by providing a framework, language and illustrations to aid application