Business publications have embraced the idea of learning as crucial to empowering individuals and helping them manage the surprises inherent in a dynamic environment. While many agree about the importance of learning, there is little research about the practical mechanisms used to transfer knowledge from the individual to the organization. Computerized information systems codify the established procedures for an organization. Changes to those systems could represent new knowledge now shared with an entire organization. The process of software enhancement is an opportunity to view a method of knowledge transfer. This research examined the software enhancement process in fifteen work groups at five organizations. Enhancement requests in the work groups were reviewed to determine their underlying causes. It was found that software enhancement is a manifestation of organizational learning since the learning from individuals is disseminated to other members of the organization when software is enhanced.

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The operational benefits of having a learning organization include at the very minimum increased organizational competitiveness and responsiveness in a given realm of competition. Military simulation worlds have served and continue to serve as practice fields for organizational learning. Organizational learning mechanisms like the simulation debriefing session have been linked to organizational learning through a taxonomy for rare events. This research provides both descriptive and prescriptive findings for military interactive simulation and debriefing systems. Some suggestions for simulation system design are made based on the research.

The La Follette School takes no stand on policy issues; opinions expressed in this paper reflect the views of individual researchers and authors. Does Involvement in Performance Management Routines

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