MISSION

The mission of the Research Program in Social and Organizational Learning is:

  • to contribute to our knowledge of social systems,
  • to help individuals and groups improve their skills in making use of current social science knowledge,
  • to assist organizations in adopting an experimental approach to their operations and hence to facilitate organizational learning,
  • to advance the interdisciplinary fields of systems theory and cybernetics,
  • to expand the philosophy of science so it can more effectively guide social science research.

As a way of focusing our efforts, we concentrate on "the design of intellectual movements."

FUNDING

The Research Program in Social and Organizational Learning conducts research with scholars in many countries. We host visiting professors under the Junior Faculty Development Program and other exchange programs. We have received grants to hold conferences from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. We have received research grants from the Center for the Study of Globalization at GWU and the European Union Research Center at GWU.

HISTORY

A Center for Social and Organizational Learning was established at GW in September, 1993, with the aid of $3,000 from Don Lehman, Vice President for Academic Affairs. The original location was 2020 K Street NW, Suite 230. In 1995, the Center moved to 2033 K Street NW, Suite 230.  In 1998 the name was changed to the Research Program in Social and Organizational Learning. In August 2001, the Research Program moved to Building AL at 2101 F Street NW, Suite 201. In December 2005 The Research Program moved back to 2033 K Street NW, Suite 230. Since it was founded, the Research Program in Social and Organizational Learning has hosted many visiting scholars and arranged many lectures and symposia. The Research Program has employed many students as website builders and as research assistants. Quite a few faculty members have served as mentors of visiting scholars. The members of the Research Program  have published many papers and abstracts.