Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Every so often the work of an organizational scholar creates significant interest and shapes an entire new direction for managerial thought. The concept of the learning organization, popularized by Peter Senge, is such a concept. Through his seminal book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization , Senge (1990) set forth a set of organizational characteristics which, taken together, create an internal capability for organizations to thrive in a world of increasing interdependence. His premise was simple. For organizations to cope with the continual change and uncertainty posed by today's – not to mention the future's – business environment, those companies and the individuals in them need to learn. People are the core, because an organization only learns if its people learn. The premise seems simple enough: individuals learn so companies learn. However, Senge points out that we, in our organizations, are somewhat learning impaired. To learn first means to tackle our learning disabilities, which he summarized as follows ( Senge, 1991 ): 1 Our tendency to equate our job with our identity . In other words, we are what we do. This focus keeps individuals from seeing the larger system in which their work unfolds. They become more concerned about self than about the impact of themselves or their decisions on others or other parts of the organization. ... log in or subscribe to read full text