Some Thoughts on Applying Social Learning Theory to Organizations

The question is a simple one: How does Social Learning support the Learning Process?

What is social learning? Social learning as a concept is the elucidation of a very basic human behavior: humans often learn best in a social setting from their peers and in groups with their mentors. In practical terms, this means everything from focus groups to classroom environments. Online, this means the online forum or meeting place can be used to develop a social learning environment. Technology has de-limited the geographic restrictions of human interactions.

The term ‘Social Learning’ as it applies to theory was first extrapolated by Albert Bandura in the 1960s. Prior to Bandura's work, most theories of learning were derived from concepts of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and psychoanalytic drive concepts. As a theory, the term Social Learning Theory is used to classify all intellectual frameworks that rely on Bandura's model for learning experience. This model is as follows:

1. The learning experience is not strictly behavioral but rather a social process that is cognitive.
2. The learning experience is achieved through observation not just of behavior but of behavioral consequences.
3. The educational experience is intuitively methodical: it involves observation, analysis of information from observation, decision-making, and assessing results. This can occur without any perceptible behavioral changes.
4. The learning experience can be meaningfully enhanced through reinforcement however reinforcement is not unto itself the prime mover.
5. And perhaps most importantly all, a person's learning experience is defined by the inherent non-passivity of the learner. An individual’s thought processes, their environment, their attitude, and their actions all have an interdependent result. In Bandura social learning theory, this is referred to as reciprocal determinism.

We can create environments and learning groups that optimize the efficiency of knowledge building.

Now, how does this apply to organizations, business units, or other operational groups? In terms of competitive advantage, the knowledge landscape is, as ever, fluid and dynamic: with the ever-present shadow of competition, whoever can adapt or learn the quickest has a qualified double advantage under any set of circumstances. It is incumbent upon responsible decision-makers to achieve an optimum learning and knowledge propagation model for their specific set of circumstances. This translates in both mid-and long-term to an organization that can react and initiate social and/or economic change independently of outside forces. The advantages of social learning frameworks are clear.

Now, in terms of implementation, our wonderful modern era has witnessed the maturation of many relevant technologies. Modern social media, education software, and communication tools can all produce synergies with face-to-face human interaction. Leveraging these new platforms provides a wonderful opportunity to flatten the learning architecture of any organization. flat learning framework increases the rate of knowledge transfer across hierarchy, teams, and individuals. Whether a general application or selects instances, a universal system that integrates software, social media, and interpersonal interactions not only helps individual learners gain traction, but provides the broader group a force multiplier.

While the particular manifestation of social learning concepts in specific instances may differ, creating the systems infrastructure underlying these concepts is almost a necessity in today's hypercompetitive environment.

1. Bandura, Albert (1977). Social Learning Theory. Oxford, England: Prentice-Hall.