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 in order to be able to respond to the various pressures they face”. It clearly shows that it is essential to learn individually as well as collectively. Learning organizations are organizations where people continually develop their capacity to create the outcomes they truly desire, where expansive new thought patterns are nurtured, where collective aspiration is nurtured. liberated and where people continually learn to see the whole together. Successful organizations view change and development as the most important factor in organizational success. Without learning there is no improvement and without improvement organizations will stagnate. Learning is therefore 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 must take into account the “shared vision”. “A shared vision is vital to the learning organization because it provides the focus and energy needed for learning.” With this, a learning theory must be implemented based on employees' attempts to deal with the daily problems they encounter in their organization. 1.2 Characteristics of a Learning OrganizationA learning organization does not come by itself but rather includes several characteristics that define it. Contemporary descriptions of the "learning organization" have appeared throughout the management literature. These descriptions present 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 space/time via electronic networks. The table below shows the positive results achieved by 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 acquired and maintained over time. These are “best practices”. Although not an exhaustive list, those listed in the table fall into four main categories.: