Are Academic Departments Perceived as Learning Organizations?

Higher education institutions need to be able to adapt to changes, which requires flexibility and learning. Researchers have questioned whether higher education institutions are learning organizations, a concept of which university faculty have been traditionally skeptical. This article describes a study of faculty perceptions about their departments as learning organizations and departmental culture. The Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire was adapted for faculty member use and administered via an online survey tool. Participants were 59 faculty of 663 contacted from public and private colleges and universities in Washington and Idaho. Results revealed men reporting more opportunity for individual and continuous learning than women, and faculty members at 4-year private institutions reported a more positive learning culture and more empowerment than faculty at the other types of institutions. Results are discussed and future research is proposed.