Altering theories of learning and action: An interview with Chris Argyris

Executive Overview Chris Argyris received his Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Cornell University in 1951 and served on the Yale University faculty for the next twenty years. He then became the James Bryant Conant Professor of Education and Organizational Behavior at Harvard University and held joint appointments over time at the Business, Law, and Kennedy Schools. His early research dealt with organizational structures and organizational change, in such works as Integrating the Individual and the Organization (1964) and Organization and Innovation (1965). His primary research methodology has been intervention, and his ongoing concern has been the applicability of knowledge. His work on individual and organizational learning culminated in the classic book which is the subject of our Retrospective. Argyris is the author of 33 books and monographs and over 400 articles. He has been awarded eleven honorary doctorates. Other honors include the Academy of Management's Irwin Award, the Kurt Lewin Award, the American Psychological Association's Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology, and several other “lifetime achievement” awards. He has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, the National Academy of Human Resources, the Canadian School of Management, and the International Academy of Management. The Chris Argyris Chair in Psychology has been established in his honor at Yale University.