A Learning Organization

Paper Summary:

The paper examines Peter Senge's work "The Fifth Discipline" and Kai Larsen's article "Learning Organizations" and their treatment of the learning organization. The paper explains Senge's 'Five Disciplines' model and the requirement of personal mastery, mental models and systems thinking. The paper then applies these principles to a Charter school and shows how a learning organization is one that is continually learning and setting higher goals, involving every team member in a bottom-up process of informing the organization. The paper posits that this concept applied in educational institutions will likely be more effective than the present NCLB high stakes agenda in today's schools.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Peter M. Senge: The Fifth Discipline
Personal Mastery
Mental Models and Systems Thinking
Application of Principles to a Charter School
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Peter Senge, Kai Larsen, and others which have jumped on the 'learning organization' bandwagon have related the principles of Senge's work 'The Fifth Discipline' and the effectiveness of those principles when applied to various organizations and institutions across the sectors of business and society. Peter Senge is now seen as a guru of change leadership. The learning organization according to Peter Senge is an organization: "...where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together." (1990; 3; as cited in Larsen, et al 1996)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Five Disciplines: Peter Senge (2008) Value Based Management 25 Mar 2008. Online available at: http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_senge_five_disciplines.html
• Larsen, Kai, et al (1996) The Learning Organization. Leader Values. Online available at: http://www.leader-values.com/Content/detail.asp?ContentDetailID=186
• Senge, P (1990). The Fifth Discipline. New York: Currency Doubleday.
• Senge, Peter M. (1997) Communities of Leaders and Learners. Harvard Business Review September-October 1997. 75th Anniversary Edition. Reprint Online.
• Smith, Mark (2001) Peter Senge and the Learning Organization. Online available at: http://www.leadingtoday.org/weleadinlearning/msapr03.htm

More papers on A Learning Organization:

• Business Plan # 89178 : "Becoming a Learning Organization"
• Research Paper # 62941 : "Learning Organizations"
• Term Paper # 92473 : "A Learning Culture"

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