A Blended Approach to Organizational Learning in Indian Software Industry

Abstract

Organizational learning (OL) has been one of the pioneering fields in debating the survival, sustainability and competitive edge of an organization in a dynamic environment. Primarily, it integrates generative learning, the sharing of knowledge, reliance on standard processes on the one hand and experimentation on the other, thereby enabling a culture that fosters co-creation and team learning. Although OL does not restrict itself to knowledge-based firms, software companies have been purposefully chosen in the present study on account of their rich access to a variety of knowledge specific to the different industries they serve, the dynamic environment under which they operate and the periodic upgrading of their technological capabilities. Given these features, it is safe to assume that IT companies are in the best position to explore OL in comparison to firms belonging to other industries. The study attempts to describe OL in software firms in India. The current study adopts a mixed-method approach, where OL is discussed through both quantitative and qualitative lenses, and the findings are triangulated for discussing OL in software firms in India. The research paves a way to focus on building a learning infrastructure and making the learning link tangible as the key requirements to discuss OL in software firms.