The relationship between strategy making and organizational learning

Abstract Purpose: This paper discusses the role of strategy making in organizational learning. By linking organizational learning and strategy-as-practice literatures, the objective of this research was to analyze how intertwined the cognitive process and strategic activities are in organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach: The metodology used is a longitudinal qualitative single case study of one of the largest Brazilian companies in the power industry. The unit of analysis is the firm’s growth strategy through mergers and acquisitions from 2003 to 2012. Findings: The findings show that organizational learning involved four sequenced causal flows in which specific types of strategic activities contributed directly or indirectly to learning loops. Originality/value: Our main contribution is to show that the implementation of strategic activities is the key to strategic renewal.