Learning in the face of power Page 2

This paper raises an issue which has not been sufficiently problematized so far, namely the question of the relationship between learning and power. If organizations are seen in sociological, structural, and institutional terms, the question arises as to how learning fits into the overall organizational change and transformation process. After defining the problem and recalling the main features of seeing organizations as a system of power relationships, the paper discusses the scientific and humanist approach to organizational change, presents examples of power-related obstacles to learning, and finally discusses the main organizational learning theories and their shortcomings when it comes to taking actors ’ strategies into account. A research agenda is outlined in order to study the still unchartered relationship between organizational learning and power