The objective of this article is to investigate the managerial learning styles as seen by Kolb (1978) and verify whether there is any relationship between learning styles and the Social Motives proposed by McClelland (1972). The strategic methodology used was the case study conducted in a top quality Cooperative located in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The subjects of the research are 11, including the president, the Human Resources management and the managers of the business unities composing the Quality Management Committee. The data collection was based on questionnaires and semi-structured individual interviews. It was verified that managers with convergent and accommodative learning styles feel a higher need for power than for achievement. On the other hand, it was demonstrated that those with divergent and assimilative styles express a higher need for achievement than for power. Given the complexity of human behavior, the classification of administrators according to certain social styles and motives should not be viewed as something stagnant and definitive, but rather as a way of facilitating comprehension.
organizational learning; managerial learning styles; social motives
