Love your mistakes!—they help you adapt to change. How do knowledge, collaboration and learning cultures foster organizational intelligence?

Abstract

PurposeThe study aims to determine how the acceptance of mistakes is related to adaptability to change in a broad organizational context. Therefore, it explores how knowledge, collaboration and learning cultures (including “acceptance of mistakes”) might help organizations overcome their resistance to change.Design/methodology/approachThe study used two sample groups: students aged 18–24 years (330 cases) and employees aged >24 years (326 cases), who worked in knowledge-driven organizations. Structural equation models were developed, assessed and compared.FindingsThe effect of the “learning climate” on “adaptability to change” mediated by “acceptance of mistakes” has been detected for young students aged 18–24 years; however, this relationship is not significant for business employees aged >24 years. This result indicates that organizations, unlike universities, do not use mistakes as a tool to support learning that is to lead to change.Research limitations/implicationsBoth samples used in the study were obtained from Poland. The business sample was in the majority represented by small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, the presented findings may only be applicable to Poland.Practical implicationsAcceptance of mistakes is vital for developing a learning culture. Mistakes help employees adapt to change. Hence, a learning culture that excludes the acceptance of mistakes is somehow artificial and may be unproductive. Paradoxically, the findings reveal that the fact that employees’ intelligence (adaptability to change) improves via mistakes does not mean that organizational intelligence will also increase. Thus, organizations that do not develop mechanisms of learning from mistakes lose the learning potential of their employees.Originality/valueThis study proposes a constant learning culture scale that includes the “acceptance of mistakes” and “learning climate” dimensions. Further, it empirically proves the value of mistakes for adaptability to change. Moreover, it also contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating the mechanism of the relationship between knowledge, collaboration and learning cultures in the context of adaptability to change. This study breaks with the convention of “exaggerated excellence” and promotes the acceptance of mistakes in organizations to develop organizational intelligence.

COVID-19 and the administrative concepts neglected: reflections for leaders to enhance organizational development

“…The adoption of these concepts will require significant changes in several companies; however, it will increase the business continuity and organizational development; the real consequences of the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic will only be known in some years; then, sooner companies leaders conduct a critical analysis on their business and recognize “mistakes” and concepts neglected in terms of management, greater will be the chances of survival. This is in line with Kucharska and Bedford (2020). The authors argue that the “acceptance of errors” allows greater adaptability regarding organizational change.…”

Wisdom from Experience Paradox: Organizational Learning, Mistakes, Hierarchy and Maturity Issues

“…All terms were defined to ensure participant understanding of the questions. To measure mistakes acceptance and change adaptability, participants responded to statements using a 7-point Likert scale (adapted from Kucharska and Bedford, 2020a).…”

“…Hind and Koenigsberger (2008) and Thomas and Brown (2011) argue similarly and have also stressed that higher levels of mistakes acceptance foster a learning process that is visible in the effective adoption of inevitable change. Mainga (2017), Kucharska and Bedford (2020a) argue that a consistent learning culture should not comprise just a learning-based environment but should also incorporate the acceptance of mistakes. Based on the outlined scholarship, the following hypothesis has been developed: H1: Acceptance of mistakes influences adaptability to change positively.…”

Do mistakes acceptance foster innovation? Polish and US cross-country study of tacit knowledge sharing in IT

“…Learning fosters the knowledge development, but a knowledge culture must enhance the positive attitude and motivation among employees to learning routines. Kucharska and Bedford (2020) defined constant learning culture as comprising a learning climate and mistakes acceptance. Hence, it can be concluded that a knowledge culture supports both of learning culture's components.…”

“…Constructs, scales statements and their sources Knowledge culture is consisted of all surrounding conditions that support the effective and efficient flow of knowledge throughout the whole organization(Islam et al, 2013(Islam et al, , 2015 All employees perceive knowledge as a value We have a common language to support knowledge exchange We are encouraged to share knowledge, ideas and thoughts We care about quality of knowledge we share(Kucharska and Bedford, 2020) Learning culture "(. .…”