Chic, Mystique, and Misconception
- 1 December 2000
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science
- Vol. 36 (4), 456-473
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886300364004
Abstract
Few names are more closely associated with organizational learning than those of Argyris and Schön. Nevertheless, their impact on the literature of organizational learning has been fairly tenuous. Examination of references to Argyris and Schön shows that they are frequently drafted to support an author’s or authors’ arguments rather than to be followed or critiqued (“Chic”). From an analysis of Argyris and Schön’s conceptual framework, and of their use of this framework in their consulting practice, the author suggests that the superficiality of Argyris and Schön’s influence is due to their focusing on important, attractive, but hard-to-realize aspects of organizational learning (“Mystique”). As a result, the literature overlooks some important and more feasible substantive lessons that may be learned from Argyris and Schön (“Misconception”).Keywords
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