Organizational Learning and Competitive Advantage

`[I}n this volume, contributors from the fields of both strategic management and organizational behaviour have been brought together to explore the relationship between organizational learning and competitive advantage.... In their editorial introduction, Edmonson and Moingeon trace changes within the fields of strategy and organizational development that have encouraged a more integrative approach. On the strategy side, the emergence of the "resource view of the firm" has drawn attention to the importance of firm-specific resources including knowledge and how it is acquired, as sources of competitive advantage. On the other hand, organizational development practitioners have become increasingly interested in relating their traditional tasks more firmly to strategic business issues and concerns. The topic of organizational learning can thus be seen as a bridge, which is the intention of this volume to begin constructing, between these two fields.... The papers presented in this book offer a rich variety of concepts, frameworks and provovative ideas on organizational learning and its strategic implications. In addition, the theoretical presentations are often supported by reports of the results of original research in a number of companies' - Management Learning

In this work, researchers from both Europe and the USA explore theories of strategic management and organizational behaviour to establish a link between learning processes and competitive advantage, within a variety of organizational settings.

Prologue - Chris Argyris Toward a Comprehensive Theory of ManagementIntroduction - Amy Edmondson and Bertrand Moingeon Organizational Learning as a Source of Competitive AdvantagePART ONE: LEARNING PROCESSES AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEWhen to Learn How and When to Learn Why - Amy Edmondson and Bertrand Moingeon Appropriate Organizational Learning Processes as a Source of Competitive Advantage Organizational Learning Style as a Core Capability - Anthony J DiBella, Edwin C Nevis and Janet M GouldCompetitive Advantage from Tacit Knowledge? Unpacking the Concept and Its Strategic Implications - J-C SpenderOrganizations in the Fog - Philippe Baumard An Investigation into the Dynamics of KnowledgePART TWO: ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND STRATEGIC CAPABILITYResources, Capabilities and Competencies - Ashish NandaCore Capabilities and Information Technology - Rafael Andreu and Claudio Ciborra An Organizational Learning ApproachOrganizational Capability as a Source of Profit - David CollisPART THREE: STRATEGIC CHANGE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNINGDeveloping an Organization Capable of Strategy Implementation and Reformulation - Michael Beer, Russell A Eisenstat and Ralph Biggadike A Preliminary TestReorganizational Learning - J Douglas Orton Some Conceptual Tools from Weick¿s Model of OrganizingThe Epistemology of Strategic Consulting - James A Phills Jr Generic Analytical Activities and Organizational Learning