Quantity versus quality in project-based learning practices

In the midst of the turbulence wrought by the global economy, it has become common to see projects as an essential medium for achieving change. However; project-based learning practices-as a subset of organizational learning practices-have not kept pace with this development. To explore this concern, we have carried out a study on practices adopted by organizations for learning through projects involving nineteen companies from across Europe and from a range of different industries. We use the concepts of variation, selection and retention in organizational learning to analyze our findings and report the challenges faced by project-based organizations in each of the areas highlighted. We conclude that time pressures, centralization and deferral are the key characteristics of learning in project-based firms and that these impede project-based members in learning from and through projects.