Publications
Publications
- 2011
- HBS Working Paper Series
The Importance of Work Context in Organizational Learning from Error
By: Lucy H. MacPhail and Amy C. Edmondson
Abstract
This paper examines the implications of work context for learning from errors in organizations. Prior research has shown that attitudes and behaviors related to error vary between groups within organizations but has not investigated or theorized the ways in which differences in task and context influence how organizational groups best learn from error. Using process uncertainty and actor interdependence as key differentiating factors, we identify four situational domains in which errors in organizations occur: task execution, judgment, interpersonal coordination, and system interactions. We propose a contingency model in which optimal strategies for learning from errors depend upon the learning domain in which the error occurred. Work conducted in each domain varies in predictability and complexity, presenting distinct opportunities and challenges for improving performance in response to an error.
Keywords
Judgments; Learning; Business Processes; Organizational Culture; Failure; Performance Improvement; Opportunities; Complexity
Citation
MacPhail, Lucy H., and Amy C. Edmondson. "The Importance of Work Context in Organizational Learning from Error." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-074, January 2011.