How Failure Can Lead to Long-Lasting Knowledge

From voaspecialenglish.com | http I’m Alex Villarreal with the VOA Special English Education Report. No one likes to make mistakes. But a new study says organizations learn more from their failures than their successes, and keep that knowledge longer. One of the researchers was Vinit Desai, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He worked with Peter Madsen from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in Utah. They did not find much long-term “organizational learning” from success. It is possible, they say. But Professor Desai says they found that knowledge gained from failure lasts for years. He says organizations should treat failures as a learning opportunity and not try to ignore them. The study looked at companies and organizations that launch satellites and other space vehicles. Professor Desai compared two American space shuttle flights. In two thousand two, a piece of insulating material broke off during launch and damaged a rocket on the Atlantis. Still, the flight was considered a success. Then, in early two thousand three, a piece of insulation struck the Columbia during launch. This time, the shuttle broke apart on re-entry and the seven crew members died. NASA officials suspended all flights and an investigation led to suggested changes. Professor Desai says the search for solutions after a failure can make leaders more open-minded. He points to airlines as an example of an industry that has learned …