Aligning the Tuning Forks: Using the Intersections of Organizational Frames and Systems Disciplines: Facilitating Effective Collaboration between Schools Needing Improvement and Regional Improvement Agencies

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-126
Author(s):  
Richard Bernato
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Educational Improvement ◽  
Organizational Frames ◽  
Tuning Forks ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
Senge's Five Disciplines ◽  
Collaborative Efforts ◽  
Model Approach ◽  
Organizational Paradigms

The purpose of this article is to align the needs and wants of schools in need of improvement and state, federal, and regional agencies charged with assisting them in their reform efforts by using spreadsheet thinking through two lenses, Bolman and Deal's four organizational paradigms and Peter Senge's five disciplines of a learning organization. Taken together, in a force-fitting Tuning Forks model approach, where analysts use the intersection of each framework insofar as they act on each other, enables school improvement collaborators to align new action perspectives. This article is divided into three sections: The first part presents the context to the issues associated with collaboration between Regional Educational Improvement Agencies (REA) and Schools in Need of Improvement (SU). The second section provides descriptions of the two analytical dimensions. These are then synthesized into cross impact charts that demonstrate potential issues either driving or obstructing their collaborative efforts. A third section provides guidelines to minimize obstructions and promotes collaborative alignment between schools in need of reform and regional agencies charged with assisting their efforts.

A spiritual perspective on Senge’s five disciplines: harmony and Alibaba

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 521-533
Author(s):  
Carry Mak ◽  
Robin Stanley Snell ◽  
Jacky Hong
Keyword(s):  
Learning Organization ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Mastery ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
Senge's Five Disciplines ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate Peter Senge’s ideas from the perspective of the spiritual ideal of harmony/He (和). Design/methodology/approach Following a literature review of the conceptualization of Senge’s fifth discipline and harmony, an appreciative case study of Alibaba is adopted to demonstrate the role of harmony in guiding the transformative application of the five disciplines of the learning organization. Findings In developing as a learning organization, Alibaba is portrayed as having embraced three levels of harmony: person-within-oneself, person-to-others and person-to-nature harmony. The authors identify three equivalencies between Senge’s disciplines and the traditional Chinese ideal of harmony. First, personal mastery and metal models correspond to developing person-within-oneself harmony. Second, team learning and shared vision entail developing person-to-others harmony. Third, systems thinking aligns with person-to-nature harmony. Practical implications The case study demonstrates various approaches that can be used to foster the development of person-within-oneself, person-to-others and person-to-nature harmony within an aspiring learning organization. Originality/value This paper shows how core values of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, distilled into the Chinese ideal of harmony, can encourage the cultivation of learning organizations.

Revisiting the roots of learning organization

2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland K. Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Literature Synthesis ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Senge's Five Disciplines ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a literature synthesis of the learning organization and discuss several pertinent theoretical concepts on the subject.Design/methodology/approachA range of works mainly from 1990‐2004, which aim at providing a variety of perspectives on the learning organization, have been analyzed and discussed based on its theoretical roots and ontological perspectives.FindingsThe synthesis of the literature reveals several common themes from the various learning organization definitions and discovers the greater significance of systems thinking in Senge's five disciplines.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not an exhaustive coverage of the learning organization literature. However it offers great research implications where several key concepts can be further explored. For example, is systems thinking really crucial to organizational learning?Practical implicationsPractitioners may find the analysis of the various models in relation to Senge's five disciplines useful, as there are concepts that can be implemented in practice.Originality/valueIt is the amalgamation of several key concepts in the learning organization and the analysis of these concepts in relation to The Fifth Discipline which readers will be familiar and able to identify with. People who are interested in pursuing research in the learning organization will find this paper handy as it provides a useful overview of the subject.

Contextual research for educational improvement: A collaborative process in Northern California

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-250
Author(s):  
Hadar Baharav ◽  
Elizabeth Newman
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
College Readiness ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Informed Decision Making ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Educational Improvement ◽  
Structure Framework ◽  
Insight Into

Using an inquiry-based approach to address the challenge of improving schools provides opportunities for informed decision making and carries great promise for return on investment. Taking a collaborative approach toward improvement can be complex, yet also rewarding because of the opportunity to leverage the knowledge and capacity of multiple entities. The article presents an example of an education collaborative in Northern California that took an inquiry-based approach to their regional school improvement challenge of improving rates of college readiness and completion. The article provides insight into the structure, framework, and tools that were used to build and support the work of the collaborative, and reflects on the conditions that promote successful implementation of an inquiry-based approach to drive system change. Moreover, because each partner in the collaborative progressed through a unique process of inquiry and improvement, the article affords an opportunity to consider school improvement in multiple settings.

School improvement plans, a tool to improve the quality of education

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 440-450
Author(s):  
Ignacio Hernan Gonzalez Escobar
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Educational Improvement ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Much has been said about school improvement plans (SIPs), which have been implemented in many countries, with different characteristics and with different results in each of them. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate, through the research carried out, the impact of SIPs on students’ learning and, from that perspective, to determine what characteristics the research should have in order to have a direct impact on students’ learning. To this end, an exhaustive bibliographic review will be carried out to show the effects of the improvement plans in the communities, counties or countries that have implemented them. The result of the above will be to determine, according to the few existing investigations, the elements that SIPs must have in order to have an impact on student’s learning. Keywords: School improvement plans, improving the quality of education, educational improvement, accountability.

scholarly journals Digitalization in practice: the fifth discipline advantage

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siu Loon Hoe
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
The Other ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Digital Ecosystems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Mastery ◽  
Five Disciplines

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide advice to organizations on how to become successful in the digital age. The paper revisits Peter Senge’s (1990) notion of the learning organization and discusses the relevance of systems thinking and the other four disciplines, namely, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning in the context of the current digitalization megatrend. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on content analysis of essays from international organizations, strategy experts and management scholars, and insights gained from the author’s consulting experience. A comparative case study from the health and social sector is also included. Findings With the current digitalization megatrend sweeping across the globe, the practice of systems thinking would certainly become more crucial for organizations seeking to develop new digital ecosystems. In addition, the application of the other four disciplines of the learning organization would also help to nurture a digital culture for organizations to stay ahead of the competition. Practical implications Organizations and digitalization practitioners could benefit from applying systems thinking to develop digital ecosystems, and the other four disciples to nurture a digital culture. Originality/value This paper contributes to the existing literature by offering a relook and justifications on the relevance of the five disciplines, in particular systems thinking, in the present times. It offers advice to organizations on how to become successful as part of the digital transformation journey.

scholarly journals The role of self-transcending knowledge in Senge’s understanding of learning organizations towards an interdisciplinary taxonomy of self-transcending knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kaiser ◽  
Markus F. Peschl
Keyword(s):  
Learning Organizations ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Organization Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
Senge's Five Disciplines ◽  
Or Organization ◽  
Interdisciplinary Concept

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of self-transcending knowledge as one of P. Senge’s common themes underpinning his five disciplines approach. It will be shown that the notions of vision, purpose and transcendence, especially self-transcendence are closely related to each other. However, the aspect of self-transcendence has not been covered well yet in the existing literature. That is why this paper is guided by the following research question: What does a consolidated, integrative and interdisciplinary concept of self-transcending knowledge look like, and what are its defining and unifying features and characteristics with respect to learning organizations? Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper draws on (both theoretical and empirical) interdisciplinary evidence from a wide variety of fields, such as organization studies, psychology, philosophy, learning organizations, cognitive science and innovation studies. Key authors from the field of self-transcending knowledge and their approaches will be discussed to develop a unified interdisciplinary concept of self-transcending knowledge and its possible applications, which will be demonstrated in a case study. Findings Self-transcending knowledge turns out to be central in the fields of learning (organizations) and innovation, as it deals with future-oriented knowledge that is “not yet”, that transcends the boundaries of existing knowledge. It is based on self-detachment, the notion of potentials and the insight that novel knowledge is not only the result of a creative agent (or organization) but also can be found and cocreated through an attentive search in an unfolding reality. Originality/value Existing literature in the field of P. Senge’s five disciplines (and beyond) does not offer a comprehensive concept of self-transcending knowledge. This paper addresses this issue by bringing together approaches from a wide range of fields related to this concept; it develops an interdisciplinary and coherent notion and taxonomy of self-transcending knowledge and shows its impact for learning organizations and innovation.

Schools as learning organizations

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 1106-1115
Author(s):  
Laurie Field
Keyword(s):  
Learning Organization ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Organizations ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The Political ◽  
Educational Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the desirability and attainability of schools becoming learning organizations. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a critical analysis based on a wide-ranging review of the “schools as learning organizations” literature. Findings The notion of learning organization applied to schools is fundamentally flawed. Most notably, schools as learning organizations are conceptualized in so many different ways that it is possible to claim almost anything; the political aspects of shared learning are inadequately handled; and poor quality scholarship is commonplace. Practical implications There are repeated claims in the educational improvement literature that that there are significant benefits for schools that become learning organizations and, as a result, school leaders should steer schools in this direction. However, this paper critically challenges these claims, concluding instead that schools and their leaders should ignore calls to become learning organizations. Originality/value Many scholars, together with agencies such as the OECD, have suggested that, for schools, the learning organization is both a desirable goal and an achievable endpoint. The value of this paper is that, for the first time, these claims are subjected to a comprehensive critical review, revealing them to be hollow rhetoric rather than attainable reality.

How a learning organization cultivates self-directed learning

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Hutasuhut ◽  
Shahren Ahmad Zaidi Adruce ◽  
Victoria Jonathan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
Directed Learning

Purpose This study aims to provide empirical evidence of how the five disciplines of learning organization introduced by Senge (1990) are practiced and how it could cultivate self-directed learning among employees. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used a case study approach to get an in-depth understanding of how organizational learning is practiced in an innovative motorcycle-manufacturing company in Indonesia. A total of 30 staff and managers were selected purposively and interviewed by using a semi-structured interview to gain information about their experience in practicing the 5 disciplines in their daily work–life. Among the 30 participants, 11 were at the managerial level and 19 were at the staff level. Data collected were analyzed using a content analysis approach. Findings This study provides empirical evidence of how self-directed learning is cultivated in an organization that applies the five disciplines of learning organization introduced by Senge (1990). This study found that to cultivate self-directed learning, an organization needs to build a working climate where the five disciplines are integrated into daily work–life. Organizations need to ensure that its vision is shared by each of the employee, build synergy for personal mastery and team learning, train their employees to continuously refine their mental models and improve their ability to think using a systems approach. Practical implications The implications and recommendations arising from this study, first, provide insight to managers and human resource (HR) practitioners about the importance of creating a conducive working environment for learning. Moreover, with learning facilities in the era of industrial revolution 4.0, organizations need to shift their attention on how to transfer the responsibility of learning to the hands of the employees and HR practitioners should focus on providing more opportunities for employees to direct their own learning. Second, to support a learning environment that is conducive for cultivating self-directedness in learning requires commitment from top leaders in the organization. Originality/value This study observed that Senge’s approach to organizational learning focuses heavily on the individual’s processes and the interactions between them. Further studies are suggested to integrate knowledge management, particularly on how new knowledge is gained, stored, created, used and disseminated under the five pillars of the learning organization. It is also recommended to look at a broader perspective, such as the role of technology in intensifying learning and the role of strategic leadership in learning.

Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization

2015 ◽  
pp. 286-312 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Double Loop ◽  
Peter Senge ◽  
Generative Process ◽  
Double Loop Learning ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
A Company

Organizational learning and learning organization are two constructs based on conceptual metaphors. Organizational learning is a process that occurs across individual, group, and organizational levels through intuiting, interpreting, integrating, and institutionalizing. It is a purposeful process designed and sustained by inspired leadership. It may be an adaptive process based on the single-loop learning or a generative process based on the double-loop learning. The organization that is capable of transforming organizational learning into the engine of knowledge creation aiming at building up a competitive advantage may become a learning organization. Peter Senge developed the theory of the five disciplines that may transform a company into a learning organization, focusing on systems thinking. The purpose of this chapter is to present different views concerning organizational learning and its main characteristics.

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