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The Learning Organization - Systems Thinking

            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
             Specifics to a Learning Organization.
             Characteristics of systems thinkers.
             Individually and within organizations.
             VI. Conclusion to systems thinking.
             For many, including myself, systems thinking is a relatively new concept that began in 1956 when J.W. Foster at MIT began to apply the knowledge he gained from his work in electromechanical research towards management of corporate environments. Today the world is very complex and getting more so with increasing technological inventions and innovations. Systems Thinking is fast becoming a powerful tool for decision making and organizational change. The words "systems thinking" mean many things to many people. A system can be defined as a collection of parts or factors that maintains its existence through interaction with each other in a specific order to function as a whole. The human body is a good example. Systems have input, processes, outputs and outcomes, with ongoing feedback among these various parts. Removing one part of the system changes the nature of the system. The systems thinking approach differs from the traditional forms of analysis that focuses on the separation of individual pieces being studied. Systems thinking in contrast, is the ability to understand the pieces as a whole and appreciate the consequences of actions on other parts of the system. Instead of just thinking how A causes B, systems thinking uses a circle to consider the ways in which B influences A. The systems thinking discipline has often been viewed as the foundation of a Learning Organization upon which the four other disciplines function. Systems thinking being the primary focus, this paper will further review some of the tools and barriers associated with systems thinking along with various characteristics that make it an essential discipline.
             Systems" thinking does not come without barriers. In fact, it is the most difficult of the five disciplines within a learning organization.


Essays Related to The Learning Organization - Systems Thinking

1. Learning Organizations

Organizational learning is as old as organizations themselves. ... Also, he defines Learning Organization as "a place where people continually expand their capacity to create results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people continually learning how to learn-. ... Generative learning requires that the system question its own underlying assumptions and risk fundamentally changing the terms of its own organizing. In this sense, generative learning is related with the idea of a self-organizing system. ....

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2. Learning Organizations

Also, he defines Learning Organization as "a place where people continually expand their capacity to create results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people continually learning how to learn-. ... In this sense, generative learning is related with the idea of a self-organizing system. ... In the corresponding left-hand column, one records what he or she was really thinking during the conversation. An example is as follows: Left-hand column (What I'm thinking) Right-hand column(What was said.) ....

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3. Characteristics of Systems Thinking

Other influential systems thinking scholars include W. ... Learning Organization Components and Relation to Systems Thinking Senge (2006, p. 10) identified five disciplines, or "developmental paths for acquiring certain skills or competencies" that distinguish learning organizations: (a) personal mastery, (b) mental models,(c) building a shared vision, (d) team learning, and (e) systems thinking. ... A learning organization is a system. Systems thinking enables seeing the learning organization as a whole along with the individual parts, the interconnected relationships, and the diff...

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4. Organizational Learning

Most learning organizations have the perception that the success of organizations is to manage diversity. ... In this case, AT&T is regarded as one of the learning organizations. ... AT&T also has a top management system, which involves system thinking of Senge's components, to face their problems. ... With the approach taken by the management system, Bartel (358) argues that the AT&T framework enabled employees to react in a positive way, which was a success to the organization. ... These changes are the epitome of the learning organization. ...

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5. Organization Communication

Future of Organizational Communication The three basic requirements of how a company becomes a learning organization whose members question existing assumptions and devise new ways of doing business are (1) learning basic skills, (2) learning new technologies and (3) learning new ways of organizing. ... Necessary Workplace Skills The Foundational Abilities Basic: reading, writing, mathematics, speaking and listening Thinking: creativity, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn Personal qualities: responsibility, self-esteem, s...

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6. Project Based Learning - A Better Choice

Ann Epstein states in the article An Early Start on Thinking, "At any age critical thinkers plan and reflect therefore teachers just like students learn with hands on problems" (Epstein, 2008). Epstein completed a study on kindergarteners with PjBL and found that it helps with ways to teach critical thinking and encourage students to wonder and solve problems. ... Once they did receive the training many were still afraid to implement it into their curriculum because of their past education and systems. ... This is also the responsibility of the teacher for the organization of the pro...

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7. Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking/Forces of Influence Problems and conflict in organizations stem from differences - differences of opinion, differences in thinking, differences in needs and differences in values. ... One key element in building effective organizational partnerships is the creation of critical thinking processes and systems that encourage people to work through conflicts and to use them to build better partnerships. As leaders encourage high performance organizations they also need to design critical thinking systems that encourage that can be an effective tool in dealing with day-to-day s...

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8. Keys to Critical Thinking

Introduction Part of being a business management major at University of Phoenix is learning leadership, critical thinking, and decision-making skills to make me a successful business leader. ... What to look for in a Senior Executive In today's marketplace there is a high demand for talented people who are also quick learning and can rise to the challenge of the increasing momentum of change and use it to drive business performance. ... They should also create a working environment where staff at all levels "possess strong critical decision making skills to drive the organization." ......

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9. Book Review The 5th Discipline by Senge

He continued on this vision and began establishing systems thinking, mental models, personal mastery, shared vision and team learning and dialogue which are the building blocks of a learning organization and are the five individual disciplines. ... A "learning organization" is a place where new and different ways of thinking are accepted and nurtured, where people are allowed to think out loud and together and where people are continually learning not only individually, but together. The five disciplines are systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning. ...

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