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A new conceptual model for corporate strategy in the construction industry is presented that is derived from two principal inputs. First, the fundamental components of the model are based upon observations drawn from an empirical study of 24 international firms competing in global engineering and construction markets. Second, the accumulated intellect of different strategic theories developed over four decades of strategic management research helps to fortify the model with theoretical propositions and establish linkages among the model's basic components. The proposed model is comprised of seven strategic fields, two organizational mechanisms and a boundary notion that divides a firm's internal setting from its external environment. The model's development leads to two central propositions: strategic fields and organizational mechanisms should function as variables to react with external dynamics, and the interaction of these variables consequently promotes higher order differentiation factors that will enhance the strategic outlook of a firm.

This paper proposes a framework for understanding the concept of a learning organization from a normative perspective. A questionnaire was developed to operationally measure the described management practice attributes of a learning organization. Using a sample of four organizations and 612 subjects, support was found for three a priori predictive hypotheses derived from a conceptual framework. Implications of the results and further empirical research are discussed, especially for linking learning organization attributes to performance using larger samples and multiple measures.

The popular total quality management (TQM) approach has tended to focus on internal processes, rather than external issues such as competitiveness and market appeal, and is more reactive and adaptive than anticipative. The time has come to go beyond TQM and to understand the nature and application of organizational learning. Learning organizations envision change, are committed to generating and transferring new knowledge and innovation, and have learned how to learn. TQM may be embedded in the learning organization, but TQM is but the first step or wave in transforming and creating organizations which continuously expand their abilities to change and shape their futures. This article first defines and identifies the characteristics of a learning organization, then explores some techniques to develop and transform an organization into a learning organization, and finally suggests some traditional and newer techniques, such as data envelopment analysis (DEA), as ways to measure and evaluate organizational learning.

Addresses two shortcomings of service quality empirical research. Investigates the importance of service quality as a predictor of actual choice behaviour and examines the importance of process and outcome quality attributes as predictors of choice. Uses regression analysis to investigate the importance of service quality attributes on choice. Suggests that consumers utilise multiple process and outcome quality attributes in their choices.

The Resource‐Based View of the Firm (RBV) has become an important stream of literature in strategic management. RDV's main prescription is that strategic assets are crucial determinants of sustainable competitive advantage and thus firm performance. Unfortunately, little empirical research has been occasioned to substantiate that prescription. Part of the difficulty in empirically testing RBV's main prescription lies in identifying resources capable of being strategic assets. This article combines RBV logic, the definition of strategic assets, Hall's studies, and the logic embodied in several streams of management literature to explain why strategic assets are intangible in nature, to show that not all intangible resources are strategic assets, and to demonstrate that company reputation, product reputation, employee knowhow, and organizational culture possess the characteristics of strategic assets. That is the foundation for the proposed hypotheses and proposed conceptual model presented in this paper for testing RBV's main prescription. We also discuss the practical, theoretical and empirical implications of this paper and make suggestions regarding empirical testing.

Two critical success factors within the retail industry are quality management practices and continuous learning. Presents empirical evidence suggesting a link between a set of retail management practices and potential learning outcomes. Retailers need to focus on developing a market orientation that is linked to structures, processes and systems necessary to build learning organizations. All interactions with customers and other key stakeholders can lead to a potential learning outcome. To develop and maintain competitive advantage, retailers need to share information with their key stakeholders, build long‐term alliances and link market orientation with a learning orientation. It was found that all levels of employees need time to reflect on and review information critical to their action outcomes and the action outcomes of their key stakeholders. Retailers must capitalize on each potential learning experience by reflecting on, documenting and transferring knowledge, and creating a climate which facilitates learning through the effective exchange of knowledge across all sections of the organization.

Reports on a theoretical framework based on Senge’s principles and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria. Qualitative data were gathered from five Australian companies that had established practices in the TQM field. Multiple cross‐case content analysis was undertaken to evaluate the proposition that “TQM and the Learning Organization are mutually dependent”. Our major finding is that TQM principles and concepts underpin the evolution of the learning organization. The implication is that managers that are involved in TQM do not need a new mindset or paradigm called “learning organization”. Organizations need to recognise that their continuous improvement activities as part of the TQM philosophy have created their “learning organization”.

Learning and development are critical to a business’s success. This paper aims to focus on organizational factors at multiple organizational levels that facilitate learning culture in a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) in northwestern China.

This study is qualitative in nature. A single case study method is used to explore an SME’s organizational factors that facilitate learning culture.

This paper categorizes the organizational factors into seven dimensions: shared vision, creating continuous learning opportunities, informal learning that promotes inquiry and dialogue, collaboration and team learning, knowledge management systems, work–family enrichment and encouragement and support. This paper also compares the findings with learning culture models from Western research.

Chinese culture has far-reaching and fundamental effects on many East Asian countries and regions. For SMEs in similar cultural settings with a collectivist orientation, future research may focus on the effect of the work–family enrichment on learning culture.

Work–family enrichment was found to be an important factor that influences learning effectiveness in this Chinese small business based on traditional values in Chinese culture.

The purpose of this paper is to examine and synthesize Argyris and Schön's Theory of Action and Kegan and Lahey's theory of Immunity to Change in order to produce an integrated model.

Literature discussing Argyris and Schön's Theory of Action (Model I and Model II), single and double‐loop learning, espoused theory and theory‐in‐use; and Kegan and Lahey's theory of Immunity to Change was examined. The two theories were then summarized, analyzed, compared and synthesized into an integrated model.

Within Kegan and Lahey's model of an immunity system, the Argyris and Schön Model I Unilateral Control Model should be considered a competing commitment. Kegan and Lahey's theory identifies a critical causal element (underlying assumption) not previously identified by the Argyris and Schön Theory of Action, thus opening the potential for expanded effectiveness by practioners of Argyris and Schön's theory.

Little attention has been given in the literature to comparing or integrating these two theories. The synthesis of the two theories opens the possibility of overcoming limitations experienced by practitioners promoting double‐loop learning in organizations.

The purpose of this study was to explore what agile learning strategies businesses need to develop agile core competencies to respond to the uncertainty of the rapidly changing business environment and sustain their competitive advantage. Technology advances and unexpected crises have created an ever-changing environment in which traditional static corporate training methods have failed to continuously provide employees with the ability to listen to and interpret the rapid changes and respond accordingly.

This qualitative exploratory multi-case study was useful to explore what agile learning strategies businesses need to develop agile core competencies to sustain their competitive advantage. Snowball sampling enabled the discovery of 15 participants who represented 10 different industries. Participants represented both management and non-management roles. Data were collected from multiple sources such as interviews, observations, researcher notes and document reviews. A thematic analysis model was used to analyze the collected data.

The findings substantiated that organizations are operating in a fast-changing environment where agile learning strategies are vital to surviving. The data also showed that agile learning strategies must include individual learning paths to continuously develop employees’ agile skills to build their organizations’ agile core competencies.

This study underlined the importance of adopting agile learning strategies to help employees listen and accurately interpret their organizations’ external environments to enable quick responses to changes. Without agile learning strategies, organizational agile core competencies and competitive advantage will progressively decline.