Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining & Transferring Knowledge [Hardcover]

Linda Argote (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0792384202 | ISBN-13: 978-0792384205 | Publication Date: February 15, 1999 | Edition: 1st

Why do some organizations learn at faster rates than others? Why do organizations "forget"? Could productivity gains acquired in one part of an organization be transferred to another? Learning curves have been documented in many organizations, in both the manufacturing and service sectors. The classic learning curve model implies that organizational learning is cumulative and persists through time. However, recent work suggests that firms also demonstrate depreciation of knowledge, or "forgetting". Such understanding becomes more exciting as one looks at the link between learning and productivity. Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge describes and integrates the results of research on factors explaining organizational learning curves and the persistence and transfer of productivity gains acquired through experience. Chapter One provides an overview of research on organizational learning curves. Chapter Two introduces the concept of organizational "forgetting" or knowledge depreciation. Chapter Three discusses the concept of organizational memory. Chapter Four argues that analyzing small groups provides understanding at a micro level of the social processes through which organizations create and combine knowledge. Chapter Five describes results on knowledge transfer. Chapter Six discusses various tensions and trade-offs in the organizational learning process.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1st edition (February 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792384202
• ISBN-13: 978-0792384205
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,512,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for both teaching and research, August 25, 1999

By 

Terri L. Griffith "Professor, Author, Speaker" (Silicon Valley) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining & Transferring Knowledge (Hardcover)

To my knowledge, Linda Argote presents the first multi-level treatment of organizational knowledge and learning. Other authors seem to have chosen to focus their analyses on either knowledge or learning - or, limited their assessments to the individual, group, or organizational level of analysis. Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge provides a more comprehensive and integrative approach. Some authors would argue that knowledge and learning are modern discoveries. Prof. Argote provides an evenhanded assessment of what is new, and what is supported by decades of past research.

I believe this book is appropriate for anyone wanting to understand the basis of our beliefs regarding organizational knowledge and learning. I have just finished using this book as background for a paper on knowledge and virtual teams. I also will be using sections in my MBA course on Organizational Design.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tremendous achievement, September 28, 1999

By 

Howard Aldrich (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining & Transferring Knowledge (Hardcover)

Linda Argote not only summarizes what is know about organizational learning but also integrates her own creative research into the mix. Her research on pizza franchises is legendary, and in this book she shows why. Using innovative methods in shipyards, truck factories, airplane factors, pizza shops, and elsewhere, Argote derives propositions and puts them to the test.

I particularly liked her discussion of organizational memory and forgetting. What a great notion -- organizations CAN forget things! -- and Argote shows just how quickly that can happen.

This book belongs on the shelf of every scholar and manager interested in how organizations learn (and forget).