Exploratory Learning, Innovative Capacity, and Managerial Oversight

When adaptation requires innovation, or the creation of variety, exploration is crucial. High levels of exploration thus imply variance-seeking rather than mean-seeking learning processes. Given high exploration, I find that organizational learning is more effective when projects operate with autonomy with respect to goals and supervision. As degree of exploration decreases, better results are associated with less autonomy on both counts. This contingent effect persists even when controlling for the emergence of deftness and comprehension.