Revue internationale des sciences économiques et de gestion

A Literature Review on Organizational Learning and Learning Organizations

Abstract

Hillary O Odor

The survival of any organisation, particularly, a profit oriented organisation depends to a large extent, on how well it can adapt to environmental changes, accepts changes and do better in terms of its operations. This conceptual paper reviewed some extant literatures on organisational learning and learning organisations with a view to answering the following question: First, how do you identify a learning organisation when you see one? Secondly, what is the conceptual difference between organisational learning and learning organisation? Thirdly, what are those impediments that deprive organisation from becoming a learning organisation? Fourthly, what benefits do organisations derive from being a learning organisation? Furthermore, it attempted to pinpoint some examples of learning organisations in Nigeria and USA. Accordingly, this paper supports the proposition that organisation learning culture has direct influence on organisational innovativeness, which is directly tied to long-term organisational success. It is recommended, therefore, that all organisations that want to remain competitive should focus on becoming a learning organisation.