What is a learning organization? What are the principles upon which a learning organization is built? What is needed to develop a culture that embraces these principles? The concept of the learning organization began several decades ago, but only recently has it gained widespread recognition among business people and academics alike. This is in part due to the success of Peter Senge's 1990 book The Fifth Discipline and his pragmatic, step-by-step guide, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (1994).
Thirty-nine of the most respected scholars and practitioners come together to share a comprehensive explanation of the ideas, principles, attitudes, skills, systems, and infrastructure needed to create the ideal workplace of the future. Authors including MIT's Fred Kofman and Peter Senge, Harvard's Rosabeth Kanter, and London Business School's Charles Handy are recognized worldwide for their work in teaching organizations about change, systems thinking, organizational development, diversity, and total quality management.
The author's essays are categorized into five main parts. Part One: Guiding Ideas primes our intellect by posing questions and sharing ideas about what learning organizations represent. Part Two: Theories/Methods/Processes presents how stories, dialogue, coaching, systems thinking, and other learning tools facilitate the creation of learning organizations. Part Three: Infrastructure identifies some of the ways we must change what we do to achieve maximum learning potential. Part Four: Arenas of Practice identifies various workplaces and takes a look at how to build learning organizations within them. Case studies are used to describe how learning organizations are working in various organizational settings.
This book is written for practitioners, scholars, and active participants of adult learning environments. The principles and practices can apply to any organization that wishes to increase its learning potential, including businesses, schools, health care, and governmental organizations.
The rate at which organizations and individuals learn must keep up with the ever-changing environment that surrounds them. This is a global environment that requires us to communicate and learn from our co-workers, customers, clients, competitors, investors, friends, and family. Our world is becoming increasingly interconnected and it would be prudent to take advantage of that fact. We are not islands and as such, we cannot learn alone. The more skilled we become at applying the breadth of knowledge and skills that are presented in this book on becoming a learning organization, the more prepared we will be for competing in the Knowledge Era.
