Author Abstract
The idea that people and the organizations in which they work should learn from failure has great popular support and even seems obvious. However, organizations that systematically and effectively learn from failure are very rare. This paper provides insight into what makes learning from failure so difficult to put into practice - that is, we address the question of why organizations fail to learn from failure. We identify pernicious barriers embedded in both technical and social systems that make collective learning processes unusual in organizations, and present recommendations for what managers can do to overcome these barriers.
Paper Information
- Full Working Paper Text
- Working Paper Publication Date: February 2004
- HBS Working Paper Number: 04-053
- Faculty Unit(s): Technology and Operations Management