Senge learning organisation

learning organisation

Is an organisation that facilitates the growth of its members and continuously transforms itself to adapt to changing environments.

Strengths of senge’s learning organisation

• Will improve corporate culture, relationships between staff and managers, lead to improve staff motivation

• Improved productivity if employees are more knowledgeable and motivated

• More likely to improve its competitive edge, especially through achievement of personal mastery

Weaknesses of senge’s learning organisation

• More difficult to apply to business where work is repetitive and involves employees with low levels of skills. Eg. supermarket fast food outlet 

• Costly to implement. Eg. staff will need to be trained, taken away from regular duties 

• Unsuitable for larger businesses that have traditional hierarchies, weaker interpersonal relationships, prevent trust and openness

• Time needs to be allocated for team meetings and discussions, may lower productivity

Why is it important

• Improve competitive advantage

• Increase rate of productivity 

• Greater likelihood of innovation

• Improve corporate culture

Systems thinking

Is a management approach that considers the interrelationship between the parts of a whole system.

Mental models

Are existing assumptions and generalisations that must be challenged so that learning and transformation can occur in an organisation

Shared vision

Is an aspirational description of what an organisation and its members would like to achieve.

Personal mastery

Is the discipline of personal growth and learning, aligned with one's values and purpose.

Team learning

Is the collective learning that occurs when teams share their experience, insights, knowledge, and skills to improve practices.