The influence of CEO perceptions on the level of organizational learning

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to take an in‐depth look at the differences in learning based on the nature of the process, analysing the influence of CEO perceptions of personal mastery, shared vision, environment and strategic proactivity on the learning level. Design/methodology/approach - This investigation drew up a structured questionnaire to better understand how CEOs face learning issues. A series ofχ2,t‐tests, Harman's one‐factor tests, correlations, and regression analyses were used. The hypotheses are tested using data from 239 firms located in Spain. Findings - This investigation shows the influence of CEO perceptions of several strategic factors and capabilities (personal mastery, shared vision, environment and strategic proactivity) in single‐ and double‐loop learning and the influence of this learning level on organizational innovation and performance. It adds theoretical and empirical arguments to the two main learning levels in the literature. Originality/value - The research provides empirical evidence that: personal mastery and a stable environment have a positive and significant impact on the generation of single‐loop learning; personal mastery, shared vision, ambiguous environment and strategic proactivity have a positive and significant influence on the generation of double‐loop learning; and both learning levels affect the generation of greater organizational innovation and performance.