Integrating corporate learning with project management

This paper demonstrates how, through an integrative approach to project management, corporate learning can be promoted. Since learning is not a natural outcome of projects, a shift is required from the traditional approach to project management. The alternative structural arrangement proposed for organizing project teams, allows learning to become an integral part of project management with dual benefits: short-term achievement and long-term capability. The integrative approach to project management, derived from action research conducted in the aerospace industry, suggests the use of a generic project work breakdown structure as a vehicle for expediting organizational learning. Use of additional learning tools, such as project audits and ''lessons learned'' database, as supportive mechanisms for the proposed project design can provide companies with the means to increase their learning capacity with every project undertaken.