An Investigation of the Idea of Individual Learning in Enabling Organizational Change

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate the idea of individual learning in enabling organizational change and therefore to provide a framework of key barriers and enablers of learning. This study aims to analyze how individual learning approaches are applied in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany and which barriers and enablers result from this. As individual learning in organizations evolves into and contributes to group and organizational learning, this was considered while detecting factors that influence learning. This study is based on a qualitative research using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with employees of different hierarchical levels from SMEs in Germany to investigate their individual learning approaches as well as existing key barriers and enablers of learning in their change processes. A framework of key barriers and enablers adapted to the learning approaches of these SMEs was created. The findings indicate that these SMEs rather focus on facilitating enablers to learning than on eliminating barriers. Furthermore, they show how important it is for these SMEs in Germany to consider key barriers and enablers of learning and provide indications whether their effect on the change success is positive or negative. Practical implications of the most important key barriers and enablers are provided. Finally, suggestions for future research regarding how learning facilitates organizational change and what SMEs are required to do for that are made