This chapter provides an overview of the Learning Company model, describing its evolution, key features, and its potential contribution to developing organizations with ambitions to do things that matter. After describing the ideas and materials created around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, this chapter considers the multiple criticisms of these ideas that have arisen since then. Following a brief review of changes in the wider world over that time, it considers evidence on the question of whether the Learning Company is still alive or not. Given the seriousness of the problems now facing humanity, pre-eminently that of planetary climate change, it concludes that new concepts are needed to replace models based on ideologies of competitive advantage. A call is made for new organizational visions that go beyond sustainable development to embrace a regenerative purpose that aims to benefit the widest range of social and ecological stakeholders.
Purpose
It has recently been suggested that the learning organisation (LO) is dead (Pedler, 2013). The authors make the case here that it is still alive. This paper provides a brief history of LO and organisational learning, follows this with some survey findings, a discussion and an exploration of some related contemporary issues and concludes with an overview and summary of the conclusions.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey of practitioners.
Findings
From this small survey, whilst some of the 16 respondents are still excited by the idea, a larger group sees the learning organisation as more of a background concept, performed in ways that might not fit with the aspirations of 20 years ago.
Research limitations/implications
The authors started with the question: is the LO idea still alive in 2016? No clear answer emerges. Given the variety of the responses, it is difficult to sum them up in a simple way. The yea-sayer will find plenty of evidence for the LO’s continued existence and relevance, but the nay-sayers will also feel at least partly vindicated. What does emerge clearly arise from the mixed messages, are the opportunities for further research.
Practical implications
This paper calls for further research and suggests useful directions.
Social implications
LO is still seen as socially useful.
Originality/value
The paper is based on small empirical sample of practitioners who display multivocality on this concept.
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