Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge

by Linda Argote

Why do some organizations learn at faster rates than others? Why do organizations "forget"? Could productivity gains acquired in one part of an organization be transferred to another? These are among the questions addressed in Organizational Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge. Since its original publication in 1999, this book has set the standard for research and analysis in the field. This fully updated and expanded edition showcases the most current research and insights, featuring a new chapter that provides a theoretical framework for analyzing organizational learning and presents evidence about how the organizational context affects learning processes and outcomes.Drawing from a wide array of studies across the spectrum of management, economics, sociology, and psychology, Organizational Learning explores the dynamics of learning curves in organizations, with particular emphasis on how individuals and groups generate, share, reinforce, and sometimes forget knowledge. With an increased emphasis on service organizations, including healthcare, Linda Argote demonstrates that organizations vary dramatically in the rates at which they learn—with profound implications for productivity, performance, and managerial and strategic decision making.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 1999

Reviews

[Shymaa Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Argote's work in the OL is remarkable and important. this book is my favorite OL book.

[Jim Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar review of the topic. Detailed and well referenced work that covers a wide ranging topic that spans economics, group dynamics, learning theories and human cognition. From my perspective, the author's use of economic data to test hypotheses is what sets this book apart. It is one thing to run an short term experiment with college students in the psychology lab, it is far more compelling when the hypothesis is tested using data gathered from a series of ongoing human endeavors.

This second edition includes new insights from research conducted since the original book.