Organisational Learning: a borrowed toolbox?

Learning organisations and their focus on fundamental change have been seen as having considerable potential for making organisations more gender equitable and improving their capacity to undertake development or human rights work that is not gender-biased. This article, developed by the Gender at Work Collaborative explores the usefulness of ideas related to learning organisations in changing institutions for gender equality. This collection of ideas and practice are seen helpful but a deconstruction of organisational learning points out some difficulties with this body of work and proposes an enhanced toolbox, which would pay attention to such factors as power relations, the spiritual basis of the work and the gendered deep structure of organisations.