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Effective organisational learning is critical in today’s turbulent business conditions, and for this to occur, an organisation requires an effective means of storing and transferring knowledge and learning between individuals and the organisation as a whole. Reviews two large disparate streams of research, concerning the concepts of mental models and cognitive maps, each of which has been posited as a potential mechanism for the storage and transfer of knowledge within an organisation. Confusion exists between the application of the two terms in studies of organisation, and both concepts suffer from a lack of clarity in their definition. Identifies major similarities and differences, and potential synergies that exist between mental models and cognitive maps, outlines their heuristic value, and identifies how they can be used together to further our understanding of organisational learning.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine organisational learning (OL) and individual managerial learning and provide a comparative evaluation of the ability of each to generate organisational benefits.

A theoretical model of organisational learning is developed which was then longitudinally tested in four organisations using causal cognitive mapping methods.

The results demonstrate that organisational learning can increase shared managerial understandings that may lead to organisational benefits derived from higher degrees of unified action. However, the study also revealed potentially dysfunctional aspects of organisational learning such as cohesive managerial mental models inhibiting learning and organisational learning can be slower than individual learning.

The research methodology and analysis is innovative and unique in this context. The author recognises the need for further research.

There is benefit for managers in promoting organisational learning; however, care must be taken to recognise when this learning is dysfunctional.

Whilst there have been strong theoretical assertions that OL is crucial for organisational survival and success, this is one of the few longitudinal empirical studies to support these claims. Another contribution is the generation of empirical evidence derived from cognitive methods which have rarely been used in the organisational learning context.

This paper gives a picture of the development of four new roles in mental health over a two‐year period. It draws on data from the national mapping project to provide a unique perspective on the emergence of the roles of support, time and recovery workers, gateway workers, carer support workers and community development workers for black and minority ethnic communities. The tracking of such roles on a national level reveals a number of issues, in particular the need for clarity of terms if there is to be an undisputed understanding of what mental health services are provided and by whom.

Introduced by John H. Clark, the Map of Mental States is a geometrical model of a human mental life. In spite of its simplicity, it takes into account the most essential variables characterizing the mind. Deals with three important types of mental life which can be represented on the Map: mystical states, mental illnesses and drug states. The exact numerical positions of the states have been established on the Map, for the most known mystical path, for some mental illnesses and for two typical drugs. Rectilinear and curvilinear distances between corresponding states have been calculated and perspectives of such a study have been shown.

The purpose of this paper is to develop the concept of cognitive proximity, by studying it as a process in groups and dissecting how cognitive proximity is related to knowledge creation that results, for example, in articles and technological applications. Cognitive proximity, i.e. similar knowledge bases, is essential in creating knowledge in groups whose members have different professional and cultural backgrounds, which is often the case in internationalizing universities and companies.

The case study includes four top‐level international academic groups from Finnish universities that have a foreign leader. The groups were followed from 2007‐2009. Interviews and diaries are analysed using mental mapping.

According to the results, cognitive proximity is achieved through cooperation and suitable tasks. Knowledge is created during cognitive friction – when members are becoming cognitively proximate through knowledge base content, but developing a cognitive distance through a knowledge base structure.

This paper is one of the earliest efforts to study cognitive proximity as a process in groups. Cognitive proximity has especially raised interest in the fields of knowledge management and economic geography.

This chapter’s focus is comparative causal mapping (CCM) methods in MOC research. For a background, the chapter discusses first the conceptual (cognitive theoretic) basis in typical CCM studies and its implications for understanding the target phenomena and for CCM methods. Next, it presents the CMAP3 software and describes its operating logic and main functions. Third, the chapter describes how to use CMAP3 in three prototypical cases of CCM, each characterized by different research objectives, kinds of data, and methods of data acquisition but also by potential dilemmas. The chapter concludes by speculating about the future directions of causal mapping and suggesting some ideas for developing in particular large-N CCM methods.

To define the similarities and differences in perceptions that mobile consumers in culturally distinct markets hold towards the mobile internet.

Using the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET), mental maps between consumers from Indonesia and Japan were developed and compared.

Results showed clear structural similarities between aggregate maps, while differences were found in experiential factors such as technical infrastructure or the underlying business model. The main barriers to widespread consumer adoption of the mobile internet were not found in cognitive structures unique to individual markets, but appeared instead to be caused by inefficiencies within the wireless ecosystem.

These results identified factors from a number of pre‐existing theories relevant to the mobile platform, suggesting the need to develop a new, more inclusive theory of mobile consumer behavior. ZMET was also shown to be an effective comparative analysis tool applicable to cross‐cultural research.

Marketers can establish sustainable competitive advantage by effectively addressing the many negative aspects consumers raised about the MobileNet. Additionally, these results suggest that the mobile platform can serve as the foundation for truly co‐creative marketing initiatives.

This is the first paper to explore the cognitive structure and content of consumer perceptions of the mobile internet. This study was also the first to apply ZMET as a comparative tool, as well as the first to extend ZMET to include composite weights of construct dyads.

The sustainability of decentralized seed producers established to enhance farmers’ access to seed of newly introduced biofortified crops is a major challenge. Understanding what motivates the multipliers of clonally propagated crops to engage in seed multiplication is critical for enhancing access to improved seed varieties. The purpose of this paper is to examine the structure and content of mental models associated with the decision to engage in biofortified sweetpotato vine multiplication as a business.

The study focused on decentralized vine multipliers from Kenya and Ethiopia. These were stratified by orientation toward nutrition or commercial value addition. A total of 45 multipliers were interviewed. Means-end chain (MEC) analysis combined with laddering technique was used to generate mental constructs multipliers relate with the decision to engage in biofortified sweetpotato vine multiplication.

The structure and content of mental models of biofortified sweetpotato vine multipliers supporting nutrition-focused interventions and those supporting commercial value-addition sweetpotato interventions are different. Nutrition-focused multipliers are driven by the benefits of good health, while commercial value-addition interventions are driven by the benefit of making “more money.” The content and structure of mental models are also country/region specific.

This study has demonstrated that decision to engage in community seed production business is driven not only by the desire to make profits but, equally importantly, by personal and societal (social) factors. It has also discussed the limitations of current analysis and future research areas.

This study is the first to apply MES analysis to assess how decision to invest in seed multiplication business is affected farmers’ personal values and other psychosocial factors.