research-article

The Situated Nature of Adaptive Learning in Organizations

Authors: Marcie J. Tyre, Eric von HippelAuthors Info & Claims

Pages 71 - 83

https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.8.1.71

Published: 01 February 1997 Publication History

Abstract

This paper explores the nature of adaptive learning around new technology in organizations. To understand this issue, we examine the process of problem solving involving new production equipment during early factory use. We find that adaptation is a situated process, in that different organizational settings (1) contain different kinds of clues about the underlying issues, (2) offer different resources for generating and analyzing information, and (3) evoke different assumptions on the part of problem solvers. Consequently, actors frequently must move in an alternating fashion between different organizational settings before they can identify the causal underpinnings of a problem and develop a suitable solution.

These findings suggest that traditional, decontextualized theories of adaptive learning and of collaboration could be improved by taking into account that learning occurs through people interacting in context—or, more specifically, in multiple contexts. Learning is often enhanced not just by bringing people together, but by moving them around to confront different sorts of clues, gather different kinds of data, use different kinds of tools, and experience different pressures relevant to a given problem. We discuss both managerial and theoretical implications of these findings.

Cited By

View all

Raman RSullivan N(2024)Sharing Workarounds in Health IT-Enabled Patient-Care Work: Impact on CliniciansACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3663682.366368655:2(42-71)Online publication date: 3-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3663682.3663686
Meng J(2022)How Far Can the Message Go Through Online CommunicationJournal of Global Information Management10.4018/JGIM.29932330:1(1-22)Online publication date: 11-Mar-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/JGIM.299323
Tounkara TDaidj N(2022)Designing a Serious Game for Scrum LearningInternational Journal of Knowledge-Based Organizations10.4018/IJKBO.29507712:2(1-22)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/IJKBO.295077
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

The Situated Nature of Adaptive Learning in Organizations

Index terms have been assigned to the content through auto-classification.

Recommendations

Trans-Situated Learning: Supporting a Network of Practice with an Information Infrastructure

This paper investigates the practice-based learning dynamics that emerge among peers who share occupational practices but do not necessarily work with each other or even know each other because of geographical or organizational distance. To do so, it ...
Identifying Situated Cognition in Organizations

Using the established definition of situated cognition in organizations as "the interaction of cognitive schemas and organizational context" (Lant 2002), we examine empirical case studies from the last 15 years to illustrate what situated cognitions in ...
Situated Learning and Activity Theory-based Approach to Designing Integrated Knowledge and Learning Management Systems

Current Knowledge Management KM design approaches recognize the importance of integrating codification, personalization, and collaboration strategies. Incorporating various database systems, search functions, managerial support, performance appraisal, ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

Organization Science Volume 8, Issue 1

January-February 1997

108 pages

ISSN:1526-5455

Issue’s Table of Contents

Publisher

INFORMS

Linthicum, MD, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 February 1997

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Research-article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

35
Total Citations
View Citations
0
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)0
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0

Reflects downloads up to 19 Nov 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all

Raman RSullivan N(2024)Sharing Workarounds in Health IT-Enabled Patient-Care Work: Impact on CliniciansACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3663682.366368655:2(42-71)Online publication date: 3-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3663682.3663686
Meng J(2022)How Far Can the Message Go Through Online CommunicationJournal of Global Information Management10.4018/JGIM.29932330:1(1-22)Online publication date: 11-Mar-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/JGIM.299323
Tounkara TDaidj N(2022)Designing a Serious Game for Scrum LearningInternational Journal of Knowledge-Based Organizations10.4018/IJKBO.29507712:2(1-22)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/IJKBO.295077
Cornelius PGokpinar BSting F(2021)Sparking Manufacturing InnovationManagement Science10.1287/mnsc.2020.367367:4(2231-2250)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2020.3673
Wang ZGao SWang JYang HTodo YRodriguez-Tello E(2020)A Dendritic Neuron Model with Adaptive Synapses Trained by Differential Evolution AlgorithmComputational Intelligence and Neuroscience10.1155/2020/27105612020Online publication date: 17-Jan-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1155/2020/2710561
(2018)The co-evolution of IT competence, organisational agility and entrepreneurial actionInternational Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations10.1504/IJNVO.2018.09067218:1(1-29)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1504/IJNVO.2018.090672
Yin YGurvich IMcReynolds SSeys DVan Mieghem J(2018)Learning by Doing versus Learning by ViewingProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/32744622:CSCW(1-27)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3274462
Wen SKrishnamurthi MIinuma M(2018)Learning secure programming in open source software communitiesProceedings of the 6th International Conference on Information and Education Technology10.1145/3178158.3178202(25-32)Online publication date: 6-Jan-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3178158.3178202
Le-Nguyen KDyerson RHarindranath G(2018)Exploring knowledge management software implementation from a knowing-in-practice perspectiveInformation Systems Frontiers10.1007/s10796-016-9713-320:5(1117-1133)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10796-016-9713-3
Loebbecke Cvan Fenema PPowell P(2016)Managing inter-organizational knowledge sharingThe Journal of Strategic Information Systems10.1016/j.jsis.2015.12.00225:1(4-14)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.jsis.2015.12.002
Show More Cited By

View Options

View options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Abstract

Cited By

Index Terms

Recommendations

Trans-Situated Learning: Supporting a Network of Practice with an Information Infrastructure

Identifying Situated Cognition in Organizations

Situated Learning and Activity Theory-based Approach to Designing Integrated Knowledge and Learning Management Systems

Comments

Information

Published In

Publisher

Publication History

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Contributors

Other Metrics

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

Other Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View options

Login options

Full Access

Figures

Other

Share

Share this Publication link

Share on social media

Affiliations