The changes in the engineering-construction (E-C) industry of the 21st century require
organizations to take a more active role in developing knowledge management and learning
organization initiatives. The need to both retain knowledge within the organization and focus on
continuous human resource development throughout all levels of the organization is becoming a
primary challenge throughout the industry. This paper addresses this challenge by focusing on
the question of the link between knowledge management and learning organizations and how to
transform an organization from a focus on knowledge management to a focus on developing a
learning culture. Based on a series of studies by the PIs into the characteristics of both
knowledge management and learning organizations, this paper outlines models of each of these
concepts and introduces a bridge that details the level of knowledge management implementation
that must be in place prior to an organization having the capacity to move to a learning focus.
Additionally, the case studies conducted during the current study provide a basis for presenting
potentially unsuccessful paths that may be selected by organizations during the implementation
of a knowledge management to learning organization transition
