Center for Organizational Learning, Innovation and Performance

            The ability to learn is arguably the only sustainable advantage for firms.   Firms that are able to innovate or create new knowledge, to retain that knowledge and to transfer it throughout the enterprise are more productive and more likely to prosper than their counterparts that are less adept at organizational learning.

            Current business trends make organizational learning and innovation more important now than ever.  Shorter product life cycles and increased competition make the ability to create new knowledge critical for firms.  New technologies enable the retention of knowledge, which is increasingly important as employee mobility and distributed work arrangements increase.  The increased globalization of firms, the greater frequency of multi-unit organizations, and the increased incidence of mergers and acquisitions make knowledge transfer a priority.  

                  The center builds on the tradition of the “Carnegie” school, which began with the publication of two path-breaking books, Organizations by James G. March and Herbert A. Simon and The Behavioral Theory of the Firm by Richard M. Cyert and James G. March.  These influential books, which have shaped modern management, introduced the concept of organizational learning.  In keeping with the Carnegie tradition, we take an interdisciplinary approach to research on organizational learning and aim to make fundamental contributions that advance our understanding of organizational learning, innovation and performance. 

Linda Argote

Center Director