Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, Second Edition

Abstract

Organizational learning theorists have proposed that teams play a critical role in organizational learning (Senge, 1990; Edmondson, 2002). Indeed, as organizations become increasingly more global, teams are formed to leverage knowledge, to increase efficiency, and to streamline work processes. However, little empirical research clarifies the link between team and organizational learning. In this chapter, we explore three streams of literature on team learning as a way to understand how organizations learn. In particular, we suggest that in order to fully understand organizational learning, research on team learning should be expanded from understanding how learning occurs within teams to understanding how learning occurs across teams. One way learning occurs across teams is when individuals are simultaneously members of more than one team. Through multiple team membership, team learning can cross-fertilize across teams, building organizational learning. Therefore, we propose that studying multiple team membership can serve as a promising avenue for drawing connections between team and organizational learning.