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Learning Agility: In Search of Conceptual Clarity and Theoretical Grounding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2015

D. Scott DeRue ,
Susan J. Ashford  and
Christopher G. Myers
D. Scott DeRue*
Affiliation:
University of Michigan
Susan J. Ashford
Affiliation:
University of Michigan
Christopher G. Myers
Affiliation:
University of Michigan
*
E-mail: dsderue@umich.edu, Address: Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Abstract

As organizations become more complex and dynamic, individuals' ability to learn from experience becomes more important. Recently, the concept of learning agility has attracted considerable attention from human resource professionals and consultants interested in selecting on and developing employees' ability to learn from experience. However, the academic community has been largely absent from this discussion of learning agility, and the concept remains ill defined and poorly measured. This article presents a constructive critique of the existing literature on learning agility, seeks to clarify the definition and conceptualization of the construct, and situates learning agility within a broader nomological network of related constructs. We conclude by discussing several important directions for future research on learning agility.

Information

Type
Focal Article
Information
Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , September 2012 , pp. 258 - 279
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2012 

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