Emerging Issues in Interpretive Organizational Learning

Abstract

The interpretive perspective of organizational learning emphasizes the underlying purpose and meaning of an organization's environment. It involves the development of individual environmental interpretations and the development of a shared understanding of the environment. Understanding and supporting the interpretive organizational learning process is becoming increasingly important for the survival of today's organizations. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize information for researchers interested in interpretive organizational learning by (1) presenting a conceptual model of interpretive organizational learning and (2) providing definitions and examples of constructs that are fundamental to understanding the interpretation process. The paper then identifies key steps and components in measuring interpretive organizational learning. Database design requirements, including support for maintenance, querying, and temporal tracing of individual and group interpretations, are also presented. © 1996, Authors. All rights reserved.