Double-loop learning

Concept

The concept of double-loop learning was introduced by Chris Argyris in the 1970s. Double-loop learning is contrasted with "single-loop learning": the repeated attempt at the same issue, with no variation of method and without ever questioning the goal. Chris Argyris described the distinction between single-loop and double-loop learning using the following analogy:

Double-loop learning is used when it is necessary to change the mental model on which a decision depends. Unlike single loops, this model includes a shift in understanding, from simple and static to broader and more dynamic, such as taking into account the changes in the surroundings and the need for expression changes in mental models. It is required if the problem or mismatch that starts the organizational learning process cannot be addressed by small adjustments because it involves the organization's governing variables. Organizational learning in such cases occurs when the diagnosis and intervention produce changes in the underlying policies, assumptions, and goals. According to Argyris, many organizations resist double-loop learning due to a number of variables such as resistance to change, fear of failure, and overemphasis on control.

File:smycka2eng.png|Single-loop learning File:smycka3eng.png|Double-loop learning

Historical precursors

A Behavioral Theory of the Firm (1963) describes how organizations learn, using (what would now be described as) double-loop learning:

In a 2019 article, Geoffrey Sloan said that the double-loop learning framework can be used to understand how the Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU) of the Royal Navy during WW2 solved a critical tactical problem by changing the organization's basic standards, policies, and goals.

References

References

1. (May 1991). "Teaching smart people how to learn". [[Harvard Business Review]].
2. Malone, Samuel A.. (2003). "Learning about Learning". [[Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development]].
3. (2003). "Systémová dynamika". Oeconomica.
4. (2002). "HRD and Learning Organisations in Europe". Routledge.
5. Rahim, M. Afzalur. (2001). "Managing Conflict in Organizations". Quorum Books.
6. (2008). "Understanding College and University Organization: Theories for Effective Policy and Practice". Stylus Publishing.
7. (1963). "A Behavioral Theory of the Firm". Prentice-Hall.
8. Quote taken from p. 9 of ''The Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management'' (2003) which describes this quote as "an early version of the distinction between single and double-loop learning" and refers to the 1963 edition.
9. Sloan, Geoffrey. (Autumn 2019). "The Royal Navy and organizational learning—the Western Approaches Tactical Unit and the Battle of the Atlantic". [[Naval War College Review]].