Lean Startup and Organizational Learning Capability: A Case Study in a Research and Technology Organization

Abstract

Lean Startup is an iterative, hypothesis-driven approach consisting of five key principles for business creation and product development, which involves potential users and customers from the beginning in a trial-and-error process. We argue that the application of Lean Startup encourages organizational learning, based on its facilitating dimensions: experimentation, risk taking, interaction with the external environment, dialogue, and participative decision making. Thus, we examine the effects of Lean Startup implementation on organizational learning capability through a case study in a Research and Technology Organization, providing evidence of its positive impact.