The relationship between organisational agility and informal learning

Abstract

AbstractIn dealing with rapid and profound technological, occupational and societal changes organisations benefit from paying attention to their organisational agility. Learning as part of organisational agility however is an under researched area of attention. In this integrated literature review we answer the question if organisational agility and learning are related, focussing on informal learning as an important way to learn in the workplace. We analyse ways in which papers on organisational agility integrate concepts as learning in their definition/approach. We conclude that the business literature includes to some extend perspectives on learning within the approach to agility. But the way learning is conceptualised is mostly moderately and instrumental. This means that learning is mostly seen as a way to become agile as an organisation. The integrative review identifies three areas in which understanding of organisational agility and specifically the framework of Wendler can be enriched and deepened with results from research on informal learning. The integration of both concepts results in three overlapping areas: leadership, social networks and knowledge development. These three areas contain mechanisms that influence both informal learning and organisational agility and therefore describe the relationship between these two concepts. Examples of these mechanisms include working closely together, valuing contributions from different professionals in knowledge development, and stimulating entrepreneurship and risk-taking by employees. More research into the nature of these three areas contributes to a more precise integration of learning theory into the development of the concept of organisational agility. It also provides organisations with approaches for dealing with the changes in their environment in effective and developmental ways.