Organizational Learning, Quality And Innovation - Evidence From Manufacturing Industry

Organizational learning is a new management paradigm and is defined as the collective capability based on experiential and cognitive processes. This study considers organizational learning as a multidisciplinary and complex process, involving four dimensions: managerial commitment; systems perspective; openness and experimentation; and knowledge transfer and integration. Companies working in the footwear and clothing industry must face and meet increased quality requirements, must be flexible to the needs of different market segments, move quickly in the direction of meeting customers the needs, and must provide a user-friendly interface. The current requirements of organizational learning (related to quality management) consider a new way of thinking, centred on providing more comfort and convenience. Organizational learning has an important role in innovation as it stimulates creativity, supports gaining new knowledge, increases the potential of understanding, and stimulates the desire to put new ideas into practice. Product innovation, as well as, the innovation process is based on a deep understanding of consumer needs, of the actions of competitors, and of the technological development. It is possible, only, through the commitment of the management. Organizational learning has the potential to explore and, therewith, capitalize on the available knowledge in an organization. Moreover, organizational learning often involves an implicit knowledge and the actions involving dexterity are often based on such kind of knowledge that with time creates organizational routines. Since this study is an exploratory one, we chose the interview method, method that belongs to qualitative research. The purpose of this study was to assess the mechanisms of organizational learning and their relation to quality and innovation. The results of our research confirm once more that Romanian companies are preoccupied by profit rather than performance, by productivity and not creativity, of compliance and not innovation. We can say that the concern for quality management and innovation aimed at organizational learning is driven by necessity rather than opportunity. Communities of practice (the apprenticeship system), compared with any other learning solutions proposed by the theory and practice of management, have the advantage of being operated with good results in the area of Bihor. The findings of the present study allow us to suggest that the revival of communities of practice is a solution to revitalising organizational learning in the manufacturing industry companies. Our future research efforts will be directed to this organizational solution.