Industrial and Organizational Psychology Studies

The Relationship between Organizational Learning and Organizational Innovation: Case Study of a Food Industry Company

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Jamshid Shahamiry Fatahi 1
Yadollah Mehralizadeh 2
Hamid Farhadirad 2

1 MA Student in Education and Organizational Improvement, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22055/jiops.2025.48801.1462
Abstract
Introduction
Rapid environmental changes and developments have increased the level of complexity and ambiguity and have faced the management of organizations with serious challenges. The foundation of changes and transformations is based on innovation, creativity and newness. A learning organization is one where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. While innovation is broadly seen as an essential component of competitiveness, embedded in the organizational structure, process, productus and services with in a factory. A learning organization and an innovation organization, while related, have distinct focuses. A learning organization emphasizes continuous learning and adaptation within the organization. An innovative organization focuses on developing and implementing new ideas, products, or services. Essentially, a learning organization creates the environment for innovation to flourish. The present research was carried out with the aim of investigating the relationship of organizational learning with organizational innovation: A case study of a Food Industry Company. As mentioned so many scholars discuss about learning organization notion but its concept still covered with blur, so a deep contemplation is needed to be done. Theory of Marsick and Watkinns (1996) is used in this project as one one of the important theory for improvement of organization. Also there is a question about the factors influencing the learning organization. Organizational learning has been considered as a driver and one of the factors affecting organizational innovation. Investigating the relationship between organizational learning and innovation and how this relationship affects performance are among the factors that have attracted the attention of researchers over the past few years. Most past research has only examined the direct, and one-way relationship between the impact of organizational learning on innovation and has neglected the relationship between the two, while considering the dynamic environment in which organizations operate, the slightest change in one system has an impact on other systems within the organization. Studies conducted on the fourth generation industrial transformation, past research, and industry barriers in Khuzestan province and Ahvaz city of Iran showed that there are problems between organizational innovation and organizational learning. The present study attempts to examine the relationship between the two.
 
Method
The research method of this study was correlational research. The statistical population in this study included managers and employees of the food industry company under study who were working in this company in 2023. Two standard questionnaires were used to collect data, one being the Watkins and Marsick organizational learning questionnaire (1996) and the other the Gunday et al. organizational innovation questionnaire (2011). These questionnaires were distributed among the managers and employees of the food industry company under study and information was collected. The data obtained were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, Pearson correlation, and simultaneous regression using SPSS version 26 software.
 
Results
The research findings showed that the correlation between organizational learning and organizational innovation was r=0.37. Also, the analysis of the regression results using the simultaneous method indicated that the organizational learning subscales simultaneously predicted organizational innovation by a factor of R =0.49 and R2=0.24. This means that 24% of the variance of the organizational innovation variable is explained by the organizational learning variables.
 
Discussion
There is a mutual relationship between organizational learning and organizational innovation. Organizational learning implies two things: 1- Awareness of the need for different levels of learning 2- Knowledge storage in the organization. Individuals learn as agents of the organization, and whatever each individual learns is stored in the organization's memory. With the growth of changes and developments in today's diverse world and the updating of human knowledge, organizations must be able to better and faster coordinate with the changes in their surroundings, adapt to these changes, and expand their activities. Organizational learning has increasingly received attention among organizations that are interested in increasing competitive advantage, innovation, and effectiveness.  In short, organizational learning not only creates a suitable platform for innovation, but also increases the innovation capacity in the organization and helps improve the overall performance of the organization.In conclusion, it is suggested that other issues in this field be examined, including: 1. Investigating the effect of the introduction of new products and organizational innovation in the organization on the motivation to improve the level of knowledge in managers and employees. 2. Investigating the effect of organizational factors on improving the level of learning in organizations. 3. Investigating the effect of using new technologies such as artificial intelligence, and big data on the development of organizational learning. 4. Investigating the methods of using the knowledge of suppliers and customers to increase organizational learning. 5. Investigating and identifying new delearning strategies to improve individual and organizational learning methods among employees and managers.

Keywords

Organizational learning
organizational innovation
food industry company
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Industrial and Organizational Psychology Studies
Volume 12, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 107-120

  • Receive Date 17 April 2025
  • Revise Date 02 June 2025
  • Accept Date 06 July 2025

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