Building learning organizations: The individual‐culture interaction

Leaders working to transform the culture of their organization often observe that the reason the organization is not changing is that the employees themselves are not changing. However, employees who have been hired and promoted for years because of their ability to compete internally find it difficult to exhibit such qualities as openness and willingness to participate when top leaders determine that these qualities would benefit the organization. Based on a recent study, this article presents findings on how critically reflective employees change their organization and on which factors within the corporation encourage or inhibit their learning. It examines programs for change in light of current learning theory and offers suggestions for developing and encouraging critically reflective employees.