Exploring Organisational Learning in Virtual Forms of Organisation

This paper reports on an ongoing research project into organisational learning in virtual organisations using the Organisational Learning Evaluation Cycle developed by Gasston and Halloran (1999). A review of the literature shows that considerable research has been done in the area of organisational learning, however, the concepts are mainly focused on traditional organisational forms and are difficult to apply to virtual organisations due to their unique characteristics. The characteristics relate to competitive relationships between organisational entities within the virtual organisation, the nature of which has an effect upon the level of organisational learning. This paper discusses factors that influence learning in the virtual organisation, including the type of alliance formed; the level of cooperation between organisations; the use of information and communication technologies; the ability to capture and codify tacit expert knowledge in constantly changing environments; the extent to which shared knowledge is applied; the level of individual contribution or adoption of organisational memory; and the presence of a strong learning culture.