Contemporary organizations require a strong learning orientation to gain competitive advantage. Based on in-depth interviews with senior
executives and a review of the literature, the present investigation delineates four components of learning orientation: commitment to
learning, shared vision, open-mindedness, and intraorganizational knowledge sharing. A framework is tested using data from a broad
spectrum of US industries. Learning orientation is conceptualized as a second-order construct. Its effect on firm innovativeness, which in turn
affects firm performance, is examined. The results generally support theoretical predictions, and some interesting findings emerge. D 2002
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