This first volume of a two-volume publication provides an analytical overview of main questions emerging from recent European research and development projects related to the learning organization. Chapter 1 provides context for the European learning organization challenge and presents four main messages arising from the learning organization project. Chapter 2 proposes the European social model as providing a societal value framework that can give meaning to the learning organization concept from a European perspective. Chapters 3-4 identify main points emerging from the individual papers that formed the impetus for the learning organization project and attempt to discuss the issues raised against the background of an organizational learning interpretative framework. Chapter 3 argues that building learning organizations is not so much a process of applying a theory to practice, but rather a constructivist process of building a practice based on shared meaning arrived at through a collective deliberation and sense-making process. Chapter 4 stresses the need to focus on the organization in all its complexity as a holistic and organic working and learning system. Chapter 5 argues organizations can only be sustained in a form of cooperative-competition with other organizations and institutions representing different interest groups in society. Appendixes include 155 references and Volume II chapter summaries. (YLB)