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This study explores the kind of learning processes that contribute to the improvement and innovation of an organisation's procedures, products and services. It aims to find the variables that promote or inhibit these learning processes. For this purpose a conceptual framework was developed. We present the results of 16 reconstruction studies deployed in various organisations in the Netherlands, China and Indonesia. The results confirm that the elements in our framework play an important role in developing and using new knowledge that is needed for improvement and innovation.

PurposeThis study aims to trace methods that help to develop the reflective behaviour that is necessary for identifying and describing learning processes in organisations that focus on improvement and innovation.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review results in the characteristics of reflection when reflection is used to trace learning processes in innovation. This results in five characteristics. Literature on research methodology is reviewed in order to find methods that promote this reflective behaviour. These methods are analysed to find out to what extent they contain the characteristics for reflection in innovation processes.FindingsThe literature review leads to five elements that characterise reflective behaviour in innovation processes. It offers a description of several methods that can be used to identify learning processes. The main conclusion is that hardly any method contains all five characteristics for adequate reflective behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study mainly reviewed research methodologies and no other methods that actively promote reflection.Practical implicationsThe findings offer concrete guidance for practitioners how to encourage reflective behaviour and innovation processes.Originality/valueThe paper refers to the interest of both research and practice. From the research point of view it presents a variety of methods for analysing learning processes in order to deepen our knowledge with respect to these processes. From the practice point of view, it offers concrete methods that enable participants to develop reflective skills that help them to become more knowledge productive.

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