Which of the following are part of Senge's (1990) learning disciplines? Select all that apply

Question

a. encouraging conversational and collective thinking skills
b. reflecting on, continually clarifying, and improving our internal pictures of the world
c. focuses on the relationship needs of individuals and groups
d. learning to expand our personal capacity to create results we most desire
e. learning to see how we act more in tune with the larger process and world
f. using knowledge to encourage change, stressing training and communication

Answer 1

A, B, D, E
Senge (1990; Senge et al, 1994) identified five learning disciplines in his learning organizations theory. These five learning disciplines promote lifelong programs of study and practice and are based on the following areas: 1) personal mastery—learning to expand our personal capacity to create results we most desire, 2) mental models—reflecting on, continually clarifying, and improving our internal pictures of the world, 3) shared vision—building a sense of commitment in a group by developing shared images of the future we seek to create, 4) team learning—encouraging conversational and collective thinking skills, and 5) systems thinking—a way of thinking about and understanding the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems as well as earning to see how we act more in tune with the larger process and world. Focusing on the relationship needs of individuals and groups is part of the normative-reeducative approach to change identified by Bennis, Benne, and Chin (1969). Using knowledge to encourage change, stressing training and communication is part of the rational-empirical approach to change by Bennis, Benne, and Chin (1969).