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The role of leadership in organizational learning in multinational companies

Torbjørn Hekneby (Department of Management, School of Business and Law, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway)
Trude Høgvold Olsen (School of Business and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Harstad, Norway)

The Learning Organization

ISSN: 0969-6474

Article publication date: 15 January 2024

Issue publication date: 12 March 2024

590

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to conceptualize the role of leadership in organizational learning processes in multinational companies (MNCs). The authors present a model describing how managers in an MNC facilitated transitions between sub-processes of organizational learning at several organizational levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from the plants of a global process company in Norway, Brazil and China. Observation, in-depth interviews and archival material enabled one to reconstruct the organizational learning process over a period of 30 years as the company developed its own tailor-made improvement programme.

Findings

Based on the data, the authors describe the role of leadership in linking the sub-processes of organizational learning as orchestration, sponsoring and persistence. Orchestration included creating faith and optimism and designing the organization to allow close cooperation between operators and managers in the sub-process of experimenting. This eased transferring and institutionalizing in the global organization. Sponsoring included structural changes to support transferring and the demonstration of dedication to improvement programme values. These factors were important for institutionalizing. Persistence involved the continuous focus on adjustment of the improvement programme, which then facilitated further experimenting.

Originality/value

Firstly, this study suggests that activities and decisions in one sub-process have important implications for the following sub-processes. Secondly, this study indicates that leaders’ role in facilitating the transitions between sub-processes extend beyond their individual traits and behaviour, which previous research had focused on, and includes decisions concerning organizational structure and culture that help link social and organizational learning.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the associate editor and the anonymous reviewers for constructive comments in development of this paper.

Citation

Hekneby, T. and Olsen, T.H. (2024), "The role of leadership in organizational learning in multinational companies", The Learning Organization, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 141-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-09-2022-0101

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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