Towards a methodology to assess organizational learning capability A study among faculty members Joaquı ´n Camps and Joaquı ´n Alegre University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, and Federico Torres Costa Rica Institute of Technology, Cartago, Costa Rica Abstract Purpose – The present study aims to revalidate a measurement scale for organizational learning capability in the context of university faculty members. This is a particularly relevant context because it deals with knowledge-intensive services. Following Chiva et al., organizational learning capability was conceptualized as a second factor construct including five dimensions: experimentation, risk taking, interaction with the external environment, dialogue and participative decision making. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from the Instituto Tecnolo ´gico de Costa Rica, a leading university in Costa Rica. The survey was addressed to faculty members. A total of 795 valid questionnaires were obtained. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the construct measurement model was tested and the scale was validated. Findings – The results show the internal consistency and the satisfactory factorial structure of the scale within the context of knowledge-intensive services. Originality/value – This validation of organizational learning capability measurement instruments has considered cultural differences (Spain vs Costa Rica), sectorial differences (industrial vs services), and the different educational background distribution of the sample. Another contribution of our study is the consideration of the non-independence of observations through the complex Mplus method, since the samples in human resource research are affected by multilevel influences. Keywords Organizational learning capability, Cross-cultural validation, Cross-sectorial validation, Knowledge-intensive services, Process analysis, Learning processes, Spain, Costa Rica Paper type Research paper Introduction Organizational learning can be understood as the process of social construction of shared beliefs and meanings, in which the social context plays an essential role (Chiva and Alegre, 2005). Organizational learning has been considered by academics and practitioners as essential for organizations mainly due to the fast-changing environment. In general, firms that are able to learn stand a better chance of sensing, acting, and adapting upon a dynamic environment (Jimenez-Jimenez and Cegarra-Navarro, 2007; Lin et al., 2008; Prieto and Revilla, 2006; Zollo and Winter, 2002). Organizational learning capability (OLC) refers to the organizational and managerial characteristics that facilitate the organizational learning process (Dibella et al., 1996; Goh and Richards, 1997). There have been different conceptualizations of The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-7720.htm The authors would like to thank the Ministerio de Educacio ´n y Ciencia (project reference ECO2008-03178 and ECO2008-00729) for its financial support for this research. Organizational learning capability 687 International Journal of Manpower Vol. 32 No. 5/6, 2011 pp. 687-703 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0143-7720 DOI 10.1108/01437721111158279