Measuring for learning – outlining the future of organizational metrics

It is widely agreed that nowadays knowledge and competencies are the key productive factors and organizational capability for continuous learning, development and renewal has become the main driver of competitiveness. Thus organizations increasingly aim to develop their capabilities for continuous learning. In this paper we explore the role of measurement in enabling continuous organizational learning. First, we argue that while traditionally, measurement has been mostly used for control purposes, recent changes in the nature of work have brought new challenges which can no longer be met with the old mindsets and measures. Then we focus on the novel approaches brought about by scholars working in the fields of intellectual capital and competence development, and examine the current state-of-the-art. Finally, we construct foundations for a knowledgebased view of organizational measurement and set some future directions in which these new branches should be developed in order to really enable continuous learning and renewal on the level of the whole organization. Specifically, we argue that such measures should be dynamic, collective, localized, based on the organizational strategy, oriented towards the future, and aimed at enabling reflexive learning.