1.0 What is a learning organization?1.1 Definition of a learning organization What exactly makes a learning organization? In this sense the learning organization is an ideal, «towards which organizations must evolve to be able to respond to the various pressures they face. It clearly describes that it is essential to learn both individually and collectively. Learning organizations are organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the outcomes they truly desire, where new and expansive thought patterns are cultivated, where collective aspiration is unleashed, and where people continually learn to see all together. Successful organizations embrace change and development as the most important factor in organizational success. Without learning there is no improvement and without improvement organizations will remain stagnant. Therefore learning is important for an organization to remain competitive. However, it is difficult to see how a learning organization can build on and derive from individual learning. An organization should embrace “shared vision”. “Shared vision is vital to the learning organization because it provides the focus and energy for learning.” With this, a learning theory should be implemented based on employees' attempts to deal with the daily problems they encounter in their organizations.1.2 Characteristics of a Learning Organization Learning Organization A learning organization does not come by itself but instead it includes several characteristics that define it. Contemporary descriptions of the “learning organization” have appeared throughout the management literature. These descriptions describe learning organizations as capable of adapting to changes in the external business environment by practicing continuous renewal of their structures and practices. Many accounts of learning organizations suggest that the path to becoming a learning organization is often highly experimental, intensely focused on team processes, structured in non-hierarchical clusters, and operating in virtual time/space through electronic networks. The following table shows the positive results achieved by learning organizations. individuals and the organization or culture as a whole when they are present. The first two characteristics are individual while the last three are group-based. The characteristics listed are general qualities that exist within a learning culture. However, there are concrete cognitive and behavioral tools, as well as specific types of social interaction and structural conditions, that improve the chances that these qualities will be achieved and sustained over time. These are “best practices”. While not an exhaustive list, those listed in the table fall into four main categories: