Tailoring Theory and Application

As the study of organizational learning has grown and matured during the past decade, it has become increasingly obvious that no single theory, model, or mode of learning applies equally to the diversity of organizations. If learning is fundamentally a process of adaptation, then what and how organizations need to learn will be a function of the environments in which they operate. While we increasingly share the same global economic environment on a macro level, micro operational environments remain distinct. For example, the competitive environment (and hence learning demands) of a city-wide franchise of hair salons is distinct from that of an inter-state shipping company. No one theory can offer applications that are equally effective across the wide array of operational environments in which organizations must function (Pettigrew, 2005).

If our goal is improved or more relevant learning, then our focus needs to be less on theory and more on practical learning tools or methods. The need for, and greater recognition of, tailored learning practices is reflected in the growth of research in particular contexts. Such research has allowed for the identification and evaluation of specific learning practices or techniques. In particular, the healthcare field has been a major area of interest. That is due in part to the publicity given to medical error and the interest among hospital administrators in how a learning environment can reduce preventable accidents (DiBella, 2002). Among the key insights and focal points of research in healthcare is the link between learning and change (Berta and Baker, 2004; Leape and Berwick, 2005) and the particular challenges of retaining learning (Institute of Medicine, 2004; Tucker, Nembhard, and Edmondson, 2007).

Healthcare systems can engender data-, theory-, and practice-rich learning portfolios. From teaching hospitals to research labs, post-mortems, experimental drug therapies, and innovative surgical techniques, health services offer a range of learning events and practices. These different learning activities provide complementary contributions to the development of improved healthcare.

Another domain of growing interest is the public sector (Rashman, Withers, and Hartley, 2009) and in particular national security (Darling, Parry, and Moore 2005; DiBella, 2010). The military is an especially intriguing context in which to consider learning from a portfolio perspective. Each service branch of the military (Air Force, Army, and Navy) has a distinct history, performs a different function, and has different values. When it comes to learning about military strategy or operations, each service has a different sense of priorities associated with learning and hence invests in different learning activities. For example, the Army does far more to reward officers who attend formal programs of graduate study compared to the Navy which values learning-in action, aka on-the-job training (DiBella, 2010).

Yet challenges for the application and implementation of learning practices and better portfolio management remain. In particular, growing competitiveness and financial constraints lead to a greater focus on learning that ensures more immediate rather than long-term gain. Success in application is dependent on tailoring tools to the idiosyncratic nature of different organizational contexts and the pressures for organizational improvement.