The Effectiveness of Collective Retrospection as a Mechanism of Organizational Learning

Abstract

Retrospective reviews of projects have been proposed as mechanisms for organizational learning, and there is the possibility that in a collective setting some of the cognitive limitations associated with individuals’ retrospections can be mitigated. In a qualitative analysis of retrospective reviews held in three design organizations, evidence emerged both of successes and failures in the extent to which reviews led to convincing explanations of events and remedies for future projects. The review processes showed that individuals could successfully correct errors in others’ beliefs and that in the organizational setting they were sensitive to hindsight bias. They also showed that simulation was an important mechanism by which remedies could be tested, and surrogate experiences added to the concrete experiences of the project under review. However, the information available to the participants often was not diagnostic, the participants’interpretation of events tended to be ahistorical, and their explanations were overly specific.