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This paper aims to develop a short form of the Inventory of Organizational Learning Facilitators (IOLF) by using the same factors as the long form to test the equivalence between two language versions (English and French) and to explore executives’ attitudes toward organizational learning (OL).

The structure of the long-form IOLF is based on five factors found in previous work: knowledge acquisition and transformation; OL culture; learning-focused leadership; OL support; and strategic management of new knowledge and learning. Two surveys of Canadian Federal Government executives assessed their perception of OL facilitators, organizational commitment, cynicism and intention to leave the organization. Correlational pattern analysis, conducted after confirmatory factor analyses, assessed the equivalence of the two language versions.

The short-form IOLF replicated the factor structure of previous work and demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. Correlations showed equivalence between and across languages. Significant correlations with outcome variables, albeit in a cross-sectional design, supported predictive validity.

This conceptually valid instrument can be adapted to English- and French-speaking populations. It can test hypotheses about the relationship between OL facilitators and individual, collective and organizational outcomes. The findings stem from self-report data in a cross-sectional design and require further research.

The short-form IOLF can quickly identify areas for improvement and monitor the evolution of an organization’s learning abilities.

This quick, efficient tool assesses OL context and can indicate factors likely to influence OL. This study offers empirically driven insights into conditions that influence executives’ attitudes.

All sorts of distinctions can be made concerning prestige goods: for instance, between the most durable like precious stones passed down from generation to generation and the ephemeral ones, or between those which seem to exert a universal fascination, like gold and others valued only in some places. The question of borrowings and possible syncretism is also most appealing for the comparatist and countless illustrations could be given here. In many cases, prestigious goods must be studied by taking both their symbolic and practical value into consideration. What I mean is that a ‘Veblenesque’ approach only paying attention to them as status symbols tends to underestimate their functional dimension. For example, limousines or jets must certainly be analyzed in terms of attributes of power and status enhancement. However, one cannot deny that they also have concrete functions of ‘comfortableness’ and rapidity for ubiquitous elites bound to do extensive traveling. Normally, in modern democracies, top political actors inherit or acquire all kinds of prestigious public assets, but these must be returned at the end of their mandate. Even presents officially given to them are supposed to be surrendered to a public museum. The famous affair of Emperor Bokassa's diamonds offered to Valéry Giscard d’Estaing no doubt discredited the French President and contributed to his defeat in the 1981 elections.