Factors Influencing the Success of Organizational Learning Implementation: A Policy Facet Perspective

Despite a cumulative tradition of over 50 years, the organizational learning (OL) literature contains very little research on its implementation into practice. Because OL is a multidisciplinary topic and consequently has a myriad of diverse definitions, research on getting organizational members to adopt its tenets has been scarce. Using the policy facet of the theoretical multi-faceted model (MFM) of OL, this paper presents 10 propositions intended to spur OL implementation research. Each of these propositions is aimed at advancing one of three expressed policies: (1) commitment to learning, which involves the symbolic behavior of managers which influences member learning; (2) tolerance for failure, which involves policies that do not punish (but even reward) errors; and (3) commitment to the workforce, which is policy guiding behavior that will lead to increased member commitment to the organization. Pertinent literature was reviewed to provide greater specificity and explanation of the antecedents of ‘productive learning’ in the MFM framework. Implications are that managers can influence OL implementation success through the design of these three organizational policies. The paper discusses: how these propositions contribute to MFM; a causal model developed from the propositions; prescriptive implications for practice and research; and measurement and testing issues. It is concluded that this research can contribute to the demystification of OL, especially as it pertains to MFM and its policy facet.