¹Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), Berlin, Germany

Correspondence: Ariane Berthoin Antal, Acting Director, Research Unit 'Innovation and Organization', Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) Reichpietschufer 50, D-10785 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49 30 25491 205; Fax: +49 30 25491 209; E-mail: ABAntal@wzb.eu

Abstract

This article describes an academic institution that is committed to conducting problem-oriented basic research, a combination that is unusual in Europe, if not the world. After sketching the history of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) and the development of its diverse research areas, a large empirical project is presented to illustrate the kinds of studies undertaken there by scholars working across disciplinary and national boundaries. We describe and reflect on how the team explored organizational learning in the People's Republic of China, the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel, and summarize some key findings. We conclude by looking at how the WZB itself engages in organizational learning to respond to or stay ahead of changes in its socio-political as well as its academic environment.