Learning Organisation: Comparing 5 Classic Definitions with a Modern One That Fits Today’s World

The term learning organisation has been widely used for decades, yet there is still no single, universally accepted definition. Some describe it as a culture of continuous improvement. Others see it as a system for knowledge sharing, fostering innovation, or supporting strategic change.

Since Peter Senge introduced the concept in 1990, our understanding of what defines a learning organisation has evolved significantly.

In this article, we explore five classic definitions from thought leaders like Senge, Garvin, and Marquardt, before presenting a modern interpretation by Hong Bui that reflects the complexity of today’s fast-changing business world.

1) Peter Senge (1990): Learning Together for a Greater Purpose

In The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge defined learning organisations as:

“Organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”

Senge’s model introduced five “disciplines” – personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking – that remain foundational to organisational learning. His vision placed learning at the intersection of individual growth and collective transformation.

2) Mike Pedler, John Burgoyne and Tom Boydell (1991): Learning for Transformation

In The Learning Company, Pedler and his colleagues described a learning organisation as:

“An organization that facilitates the learning of all its members and continuously transforms itself.”

Their definition emphasised inclusive and continuous learning across the entire organisation. Learning was positioned as a strategic lever for long-term adaptability and transformation — not merely a set of training initiatives.

3) Karen Watkins and Victoria Marsick (1993): Learning at Every Level

In Sculpting the Learning Organization, Watkins and Marsick defined a learning organisation as:

“One that learns continuously and can transform itself. Learning takes place in individuals, teams, the organization and even the communities with which the organization interact. Learning is a continuous, strategically used process integrated with, and running parallel to, work. Learning results in changes in knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. Learning also enhances organizational capacity and growth. The learning organization has embedded systems to capture and share learning.”

Their definition added structure to the idea of learning at work. They identified seven key dimensions, including inquiry, collaboration, empowerment, and systems for knowledge sharing – providing leaders with a blueprint for embedding learning into daily operations.

4) David Garvin (1993): Knowledge and Behaviour Change

In his Harvard Business Review article, Building a Learning Organization, Garvin offered this pragmatic definition:

“An organization skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights.”

Garvin emphasised that learning must lead to observable change in behaviours, decisions, and results. His focus on skills, processes, and outcomes made the concept more actionable and measurable for performance-driven organisations.

5) Michael Marquardt (1996): Stakeholders and Technology

In Building the Learning Organization, Marquardt defined a learning organisation as:

“An organization which learns powerfully and collectively and is continually transforming itself to better collect, manage, and use knowledge for corporate success. It empowers people within and outside the company to learn as they work. Technology is utilized to optimize both learning and productivity”.

Marquardt expanded the scope of learning to include external stakeholders and emphasised the critical role of technology. His definition embraced learning as a systemic and connected process that enables innovation and agility.

6) Hong Bui (2019): A Future-Ready Definition for a Complex World

While the classic definitions remain valuable, they were developed in a relatively stable, pre-digital world. Today’s organisations must learn and adapt to cope with ongoing disruption, complexity, and change.

In her recent book chapter, Bui offers a modern, integrated definition:

“A learning organization is an organization in which a supportive learning culture and structure are strong enough to enable learning mindsets and systems learning across the organization to constantly transform and innovate itself for sustainable development in a complex and uncertain environment.”

This definition reflects key shifts in how learning is approached:

• Learning mindsets: Learning is driven by curiosity and commitment at all levels of the organisation.

• Systems learning: Organisations engage in single-loop (fixing errors), double-loop (questioning assumptions), and triple-loop learning (rethinking values and purpose).

• Culture and structure: Learning is embedded not just in values, but also in systems, processes, roles, and leadership behaviours.

• Innovation and sustainability: Learning is a lever for resilience and continuous reinvention.

Why This Matters Now?

In today’s volatile and fast-moving world, the most resilient organisations are not the ones with the most resources – they are the ones that learn faster and adapt better.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, organisations that responded with speed and creativity did not simply rely on contingency plans. They leaned into learning, reimagined their offerings, retrained their teams, and rapidly innovated; demonstrating what it means to be a true learning organisation.

Conclusion

While there may be no single definition of a learning organisation, what matters most is understanding that learning is not a one-off event, but a strategic and continuous capability. It means choosing curiosity over control, collaboration over silos, and continuous renewal over complacency.

In a world where change is the only constant, organisations that build the right culture and systems for learning will not only adapt but will thrive.

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