Hbr septemberoctober 1977 double loop learning in organizations chris argyris several years ago the top management of a multi cate the bad news so that it would be heard above. Double loop learning changing the rules in double loop learning, members of the organization are able to reflect on whether the rules themselves should be changed, not only on whether deviations have occurred and how to correct them. Learning process in organization organizational learning. The organizational learning literature distinguishes different levels of learning zero learning and single, double and triple loop learning in order to understand the complexity and dynamics of. Model 1 illustrates how single loop learning affect human actions.
Organizational learning contributes to organizational memory. Interesting overlay of the demingshewart pdca loop onto doubleloop learning. Doubleloop learning is essential in the progression towards becoming a learning organization. Pdf doubleloop reflective practice as an approach to. Inhibiting doubleloop learning in business organizations. It also fol lows that doubleloop learning is key to achieving such outcomes. Double loop learning is seen as the more effective way of making informed decisions about the way we design and implement action argyris, 1974. Although the case study examined here concerns intel, burgelman claims that much of the story is relevant to other organizations. Higher education california state university, sacramento. Chris argyris mindbrain and a perspective about error a theory of action organizational defensive routines desired organizational changes double. On the other hand, when actions are taken, not only to achieve the intended consequences, but also to openly inquire about conflict and to possibly transform the governing variables, both single loop and double loop learning cycles usually ensue. A case study of a large, suburban, public middle school introduction recent reform efforts have placed enormous pressure and anxiety on teachers to raise and enhance students achievement levels and learning outcomes in all subject areas. In a sense, what were talking about here is double loop km, an ol practitioners framework for helping organizations, not just individuals, learn.
Doubleloop learning helps people acquire and integrate new. An investigation of leadership 1 an investigation of. Every company faces a teac hing smart people smartest. But effective double loop learning is not simply a function of how people feel. Argyris and schons theory on congruence and learning. Doubleloop learning entails the modification of goals or decisionmaking rules in the light of. Chris argyris, authority on organizational behavior. Single and double loop learning organizational learning. An examination of chris argyris model of learning in. Single and double loop learning doubleloop learning is process that contains teaching individuals to think more deeply about their own expectations and beliefs. Every individual in the organization is somehow stretching, growing, or enhancing his or her capacity to create. Remembering the lessons of harvard business school.
The authors make a good case for the limitations, and in many cases, dysfunctional learning that occurs in organizations. Single and double loop learning double loop learning is process that contains teaching individuals to think more deeply about their own expectations and beliefs. Model 2 describes how double loop learning affects human actions. Chris argyris association for psychological science aps. Conference paper pdf available june 2016 with 1,468 reads how we measure reads. Single loop learning is a process in which organizations are able to correct matters in order to achieve stated objectives. Double loop km understanding argyris notion of single versus double loop learning is. Robert burgelman wrote a rich description of how strategy is shaped in organizations. Several years ago the top management of a multi cate the bad news so. There are two main organizational learning levels in established literatures. Doubleloop learning, teaching, and research chris argyris harvard university and monitor company group a new genre of case methodology is described that can be used to help participants diagnose and increase their competence in helping themselves and others to become more effective leaders, learners, and facilitators of double loop change.
It is clear that tripleloop learning is inspired by argyris and schon developers of single and doubleloop learning but the term does not appear explicitly in their published works. Many companies use single loop learning, which tends to solve a problem based on the symptoms being seen instead of addressing the root cause of an issue. It is rare, therefore, that an organization is able to use double loop learning for its instrumental and policy issues if it cannot do so for the games and norms. That, argyris argues, makes the company less effective from a personnel standpoint. In this new edition, argyris discusses vital topics of current management research, such as tacit knowledge and management, so reflecting the evolving field of organizational learning. Yet the basic concepts used to design and manage organizations and the types of capabilities that people bring to work regarding dealing with double loo p problems make it unlikely that double loop learning wil l occur. Organizational learning in such cases occurs when the diagnosis and intervention produce changes in the underlying policies, assumptions, and goals. Argyris and schons work links individual learning to organizational learning and comes from an organization development perspective. Double loop learning is an educational concept and process that involves teaching people to think more deeply about their own assumptions and beliefs. Chris argyris was born in new jersey on 16 july 1923 and grew up there. Subsequently, a summary of organizational learning presents an overview of how heis learn from their current and past actions, defines single and double loop learning, and elaborates on barriers. Over the past 45 years, argyris contributed significantly to human relations and organizational learning theory by recognizing the power of individuals to induce change within their work environment. Single loop and double loop learning are two different types of learning that can be used by any organization in order to adapt and improve its overall performance.
The focus of the theory is on solving problems that are complex and illstructured and which change as problemsolving advances. According to argyris and schon, organizations should strive to create a learning system where single and double loop approaches are used when appropriate. Exhibit i taken from chris argyris and donald schon, theory in. Single and double loop learning university of auckland. Achieving this doubleloop learning is more than a matter of. Doubleloop reflective practice as an approach to understanding knowledge and experience. Chris argyris, doubleloop learning and organizational. Model oii organizations, however, are rarely found in practice, and often external interventions are necessary to create a productive learning climate. Combine advocacy with inquiry argyris and schon 1996. This theory refers to the way people respond to changes in their environment. The terms are most closely associated with two american scholars chris argyris and donald schon.
Double loop learning in organizations semantic scholar. In double loop learning, problems are examined and corrected even though correction requires challenge to underlying policies and objectives. Organizational learning theory states that, in order to be competitive in a changing environment, organizations must change their goals and actions to reach those goals. The work of chris argyris 192320 has influenced thinking about the relationship of people and organizations, organizational learning and action research. Pdf this paper addresses doubts concerning the reliability of knowledge. Were taught single loop learning from the time we are in grade school, but theres a better way. The first loop uses the goals or decisionmaking rules, the second loop enables their modification, hence double loop. Double loop learning induces a change in values with regard to the theory of use and strategies. Individuals usually examine the environment, compare data with the norm, and. The study found that model i traps had crept into the model ii learning organization, creating growing dissonance that erupted in. Triple loop learning learning about learning the origin of the triple loop learning is not wellknown. An examination of chris argyris model of learning in relation to its effectiveness in creating a cross cultural, team learning environment at university of the nations leadership training school. The relationship between organizational learning practices and the learning organization.
Chris argyris described the distinction between singleloop and doubleloop. View enhanced pdf access article on wiley online library html view download pdf for offline viewing. Single loop learning following the rules the conventional example used to explain this concept is the. The distinction between single and double loop learning has entered the lexicon of writers in the fields of professional and organizational learning, reflective practice and organizational and social change. The concepts are largely from the works of argyris and schon 1974. Doubleloop learning is an educational concept and process that involves teaching people to. Single loop learning is one of the problemsolving processes. Thus, learning can occur in different functions of the organization such as research, development, design, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, administration, and sales. Ar requires the researchers participation along the entire change process, stretching from. Double loop learning resources benjamin mitchells blog. Double loop learning is the quickest and most efficient way to learn anything that you want to stick.
Double loop models in research on decision making chris argyris september 1 976, volu me 21 some current research and theory on organizational deci sion making from the political science literature is examined, in which the potential role of learning and feedback in the decisionmaking process is largely ig nored. Argyris and schon define organizational learning as a. This approach require from the company openness for changes modifying established ways of acting, analysing and improving existed procedures and willingness to proper responding on unusual and unpredictable situations. We aim to show how the triple loop enables new learning strategies to be created so as to encourage complex problemsolving and increase the. Teaching smart people howtolearn chris argyris any company that aspires to succeed in the tougher businessenvironmentofthe 1990s must rst resolve a basic dilemma. Resources on the left hand right hand column case study format. An organization does not lose out on its learning abilities when members leave the organization. It was created by chris argyris, a leading organizational trainer, in the mid1980s, and developed over the next decade into an effective tool. The relationship between organizational learning practices. Learning processes in organization learning is one of the condition of effective business management. A view from london, england university of kentucky.
The work of chris argyris as critical organization. Dodgson states that the type of organizational learning also depends on where in the organization the organizational learning occurs. Argyris and schon regard model oii as a crucial condition for doubleloop learning, and double loop learning in its turn as a crucial condition for organizational survival in the long run. Focusing on learning and organizational politics, the book addresses the key issues of.
Double loop and deutero learning are concerned with the why and how to change the organization while single loop learning is concerned with accepting change without questioning underlying assumptions and core beliefs. According to the authors, this learning is the only one that enables the values and standards governing theories of use and organisation to be called into question. This type of learning can be useful in organizational learning since it can. While single loop learning focuses on technical and external issues, double loop looks also so called internal things. Christine hessmichael nelsonkelly turney hrd 870 chris argyris 2.
Argyris applies single loop and double loop learning concepts not only to personal behaviors but. On this page we examine the significance of the models he developed with donald schon of single loop and double loop learning, and how these translate into contrasting models of organizational learning. Dec 11, 20 chris argyris was a friend, colleague, and prolific scholar who made enormous contributions to our understanding of the psychological processes underlying effective learning by organizations and those who work in them, said victor h. Yet the basic concepts used to design and manage organizations and the types of capabilities that people bring to work regarding dealing with double loo p problems make it unlikely that doubleloop learning wil l occur. Thus, learning systems not only influence immediate members, but also future members, due to the accumulation of histories, experiences, norms, and stories. His work with respect to thinking about relationships of people and organizations, learning organizations and action research is known and recognized throughout the world. According to argyris, however, many organizations resist doubleloop learning due to a number of variables such as resistance to change, fear of failure, and overemphasis on control. Open communication from within an organization is also viewed as a negative in the argyris theory. According to chris argyris psychologist and donald schon philosopher single and double loop learning is therefore required so that the organization and its employees will improve their understanding of the cause of problems and the effective way of solving them. Hence there are three key skills, double loop model requires from organizations members.
Double loop learning involves interrogating the governing variables themselves and often involves radical changes such as the wholesale revision of systems, alterations. Double loop learning recognises that the way a problem is defined and solved can be a source of the problem. The model ii process illustrated in the sociocognitive systems learning model was the focus of this embedded singlecase study. Individuals usually examine the environment, compare data with the norm, and then initiate an appropriate action. After reading you will understand the basics of this powerful change management and behaviour change tool. The losses involved not be well received at the upper levels if it was. Loop learning and organizational change researchgate. Argyris, like richard beckhard, edgar schein and warren bennis, citation needed is known as a cofounder of organization development, and known for seminal work on learning. Remembering the lessons of harvard business school professor chris argyris. This kind of learning involves more thinking outside the box, creativity and critical thinking. The losses involved not be well received at the upper levels.
Operationalising doubleloop learning in service organisations. It is rare, therefore, that an organization is able to use double loop learning for its. Chris argyris has made a significant contribution to the development of our appreciation of organizational learning, and, almost in passing, deepened our understanding of experiential learning. A powerful force for organizational excellence presented by jean richardson azure gate consulting, llc at pacific northwest software quality conference 2014 c jean richardson 2011 decision latency the amount of time between the emergence of a need for a decision and the time the decision is. Tripleloop learning learning about learning the origin of the tripleloop learning is not wellknown. This chapter suggests that burgelmans description is incomplete if his intention is to help practitioners implement strategy effectively. Change julyaugust 2007 37 l e a r n i n g when things do turn out differently after a reform, the results often exhibit a completely unforeseen and unplanned pattern of difference. Argyris 1976 proposes double loop learning theory which pertains to learning to change underlying values and assumptions. Argyris 2004 proposed the idea of single loop and doubleloop learning as an indicator of the ways in which developing choices for future action was.
In order for learning to occur, however, the firm must make a conscious decision to change actions in response to a change in circumstances, must consciously link action to. Donald schon and i have been conducting research that we believe has identified a few of the more critical factors that inhibit double loop learning in organizations. In this new edition, argyris discusses vital topics of management research, such as tacit knowledge and management, so reflecting the evolving field of organizational learning. People do not always perceive change within organizations as. Consequently, argyris and schons approach is to focus on double loop learning. Dodgson states that the type of organizational learning also depends on where in the ol occurs. Double loop learning in organizations chris argyris several years ago the top management of a multi cate the bad news so that it would be heard above. Apr 24, 2014 argyris applies single loop and double loop learning concepts not only to personal behaviors but also to organizational behaviors in his models. Born in newark, new jersey on july 16, 1923 graduated with a b. This article explains single loop learning and double loop learning, developed by chris argyris and donald schon in a practical way. Chris argyris july 16, 1923 november 16, 20 was an american of greek ancestry business theorist, professor emeritus at harvard business school, and held the position of thought leader at monitor group.
Chris argyris born july 16, 1923 16 november 20 was an american business theorist, professor emeritus at harvard business school, known as cofounder of organization development, and his seminal work of learning organizations. It is associated with the double loop learning concept, also suggesting recurring activities concerning cognitive mechanisms for knowl edge creation argyris et al. Although the theories are most commonly referred to in the analyzed literature, we justify their relevance below. Singleloop and doubleloop models in research on decision. Doubleloop learning by steve wheeler, associate professor, plymouth institute of education this is the second in my series of short. Singleloop learning is one of the problemsolving processes. Through an interdisciplinary approach to effective problem solving using double loop learning, argyris believed that individuals and organizations. O rganizations require, as a minimum, employees who have the skills to produce a product or a service. These concepts help you to realize and appreciate the kinds of learning that you and your client can glean during a project. May 10, 20 doubleloop learning goes beyond that, modifying the goal in light of the experience. Single loop learning with its emphasis on the detection and correction of errors within a given set of governing variables is linked to incremental change in organizations. An investigation of leadership 3 an investigation of leadership in a professional learning community. A leading organizational trainer chris argyris produced it, in the mid1980s, and improved over the next years into an effective tool. Singleloop learning occurs when matches are created, or when mismatches are corrected by changing actions.
Argyriss work raises profound questions about how organizations run, and casts doubt on what is widely accepted as good practice. Argyris is best known for his theory, in collaboration with the late philosophy scholar donald schon, on the two types of learning singleloop and doubleloop. Argyris and schon distinguish between espoused theory of action and theory in use. The main differences between them are the following.
Double loop learning emphasizes the use of an additional learning stage to acquire more. This essay examines the broad thesis of organizational learning theorist chris argyris in terms of communicative action, and finds his critical understanding of model i and the emancipatory potential embedded in double. Law enforcement departments as learning organizations. Single loop learning occurs when an organization detects a mistake, corrects it, and carries on with its present policies and objectives. Fig 3 doubleloop learning from argyris 1990 p94 distinguishing between single and doubleloop learning, argyris explained that. In a survey of several hundred young consultants at the organizations i have been. Vroom, the bearingpoint professor of management and professor of psychology at the yale school of management. Chris argyris 192320 was a professor emeritus at harvard business school. Characteristics of a learning organization people feel theyre doing something that mattersto them personally and to the larger world. Organizational learning is a process of detecting and correcting errors.