Understanding organizational learning in a healthcare organization during sudden and disruptive change

Purpose

Complex and sudden change that healthcare organizations often have to respond to, such as during the recent pandemic, can create major disruptions and a prolonged state of alert. Although the impact of such crises can be predominantly negative, rapid adjustments during this time can also yield positive change that can support organizational response to crisis, if managed well. Using insights from organizational learning and organizational change theory, the aim of this study was to understand organizational learning during sudden change. Specifically, the authors aimed to understand the experiences and types of gains and losses in the processes of complex and disruptive change in one large healthcare organization in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

Focus group data were used from 23 focus group discussions with 575 participants representing all functions and departments in one Healthcare Trust.

Findings

The participants revealed the rich gains, losses, and lessons experienced in response to sudden change that can promote organizational learning. Perceived losses are more likely to drive a desire to refreeze “back to normal” and perceived gains more likely to lead to an emphasis on embedding gains and changing to better. Therefore, on balance, the substantial, in number and variety, gains and learnings point to a learning organization. This is an essential attribute for responding to disruptive change successfully and facilitating organizational recovery in a post-pandemic world.

Practical implications

The findings highlight the importance of timely harnessing of the organizational learning emerging from crises and how this can inform a more resilient organization, as well as supporting sustainable organizational cross-learning.

Originality/value

By extending these insights on workers’ adaptation to sudden change, the findings can help to advance the science and practice of organizational learning and support organizational recovery, especially as they describe the new status in UK healthcare organizations.