Self‐directed learning and the learning organization: Examining the connection between the individual and the learning environment

This chapter articulates the connection between self‐directed learning (SDL) and the learning organization. Although there is much literature on developing learning organizations and there has been some work addressing SDL in the workplace, there is a paucity of work analyzing the connection between self‐directed learners and their place in a learning organization. An analysis of the literature on both learning organizations and SDL, however, identifies learning environments that are strikingly similar. This chapter explicates these relationships and proposes some recommendations for practice and for future research.