Investigating the role of information technology in developing the learning organisation: empirical evidence from Egypt

Developing a learning organisation is associated with organisational growth and innovation as it enables the creation of a memory of knowledge and experiences that can be shared among all organisational members. The most important tool identified to build this memory is information technology knowledge management systems. However, despite their importance, their actual contribution to the development of the different dimensions of the learning organisation has rarely been studied. This research investigates the effect of using IT knowledge management tools on the development of the different dimensions of learning organisations through a pre-post quasi experiment conducted in an Egyptian organisation. Results indicate that the new IT system significantly improved all the dimensions of organisational learning except for degree of teamwork. It concludes that although IT systems facilitate the creation of the learning organisation, they must be implemented within an integrated change management system to be able to transfer a rigid organisation into a learning one.