Quantity versus Quality in Project Based Learning Practices

In the midst of the turbulence wrought by the global economy, it has become common to see projects as an essential medium for achieving change. However, project based learning practices – as a subset of organizational learning practiceshave not kept pace with this development. To explore this concern, we have carried out a study on practices adopted by organizations for learning through projects involving nineteen companies from across Europe and from a range of different industries. We use the concepts of variation, selection and retention in organizational learning to analyze our findings and report the challenges faced by project based organizations in each of the areas highlighted. We conclude that time pressures, centralization and deferral are the key characteristics of learning in project based firms and that these impede project based members in learning from and through projects. 5001-6182 Business 5546-5548.6 5548.7-5548.85 Office Organization and Management Industrial Psychology Library of Congress Classification (LCC) HD 58.82 Organizational learning M Business Administration and Business Economics M 10 L 2 Business Administration: general Firm Objectives, Organization and Behaviour Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) L 22 Firm Organization 85 A Business General 100B 240 B Organization Theory (general) Information Systems Management European Business Schools Library Group (EBSLG) 100 X Organization Development Gemeenschappelijke Onderwerpsontsluiting (GOO) 85.00 Bedrijfskunde, Organisatiekunde: algemeen 85.05 85.08 Management organisatie: algemeen Organisatiesociologie, organisatiepsychologie Classification GOO 85.08 Organisatiesociologie, organisatiepsychologie Bedrijfskunde / Bedrijfseconomie Organisatieleer, informatietechnologie, prestatiebeoordeling