Organization learning process through rare events: An analysis from the integrated perspective

Abstract

This research aims at making a theoretical foray and proposing a model that allows us to understand the process of organizational learning in rare events. Adopting an integrative perspective, research on the process of organizational learning must take into account the cognitive, behavioral and social aspects that support and enable the understanding of the phenomenon, as well as the assimilation of levels of analysis in which learning can occur. Analyzing and operationalizing the concept of organizational learning process, relating it to rare events, seems to be a viable alternative to enhance the processes of change in the way organizations and understand the dynamics by which new routines are formed and new knowledge base is created, used and institutionalized, which confirms the adoption of integrative perspective. The conceptual model can reveal, in simplified form, the complex process by which organizations learn when they can review their repertoire of responses in order to improve their performance. The repertoire of responses means the set of routines, habits, roles (potential or realized) taken for granted and that are able to reformulate when influenced by a singular event.

Keywords: organizational learning, rare events, change, knowledge, routine.