Beyond the Buzzword: Why Organizations Can't Learn to Unlearn

Catalyst Center for Work Innovation: The Debate · Mar 26, 2026 · 26m

In this episode, the hosts clash over why one of management theory's most celebrated ideas—double-loop learning—has become more of a buzzword than a reality in actual organizations. They dissect research revealing that while companies love to talk about challenging underlying assumptions and transforming how they operate, most never move beyond surface-level problem-solving because of defensive reasoning, leadership resistance, and the difficulty of translating cognitive insights into genuine behavioral change. One host argues this failure is catastrophic, leading to innovation stagnation…