Multimodal Organizational Learning: From Misbehavior to Good Laboratory Practice in the Pharmaceutical Industry

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Abstract Theories of organizational learning could benefit from an increase in the number of large, detailed cases with which to assess their pertinence, explanatory power, and predictive ability. The emergence of governmental regulations on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and their implementation in the pharmaceutical industry offers precisely that kind of material. The processes of developing and implementing GLP regulations reveal multiple modalities of organizational learning, such as cognitive knowledge acquisition, organizational imitation, and behavioral and cultural change. These processes have involved a variety of actors, permitting an exploration of the dynamics of learning processes across different hierarchical levels of government and industry. To help put the chosen case into perspective, we begin by briefly introducing three theoretical frameworks for organizational learning and their relevant concepts. A detailed account of the GLP case follows, providing empirical data collected with aspects of organizational learning in mind. Theories are then applied to the case with the aim of assessing their epistemo-logical merits. Finally, new insights are highlighted, and territories uncharted by present theories are identified.