Summary

Summary of the Book, “ The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning,” by Senge Peter. A significant virtueof the author is the manner in which he places system theory to work. His book offers a good introduction and orientation to the basics and application of system theory and the manner in which it can be linked with other theoretical tools in order to make sense of organizational issues and questions. According to Senge, system thinking is the foundation of his approach, which he called the fifth discipline. This mechanism combines others, linking them into a workable body of practice and theory. The book offers a social perception on learning, which gives untold chance for renewal if built in a correct system. The author argues that in order to improve communication relationships with people in a particular organization, it is vital to combine critical inquiry, dialogue, and discussion, which in turn will provide a clear insight of the information being disseminated (Senge 13-15).
In this book, the author centers his discussion on the significance of “ system” thoughts, which he perceives as indispensable for required qualities that strengthen long-term institutional change. For instance, he views an organization as systematically grounded partly in a holographic truth where each one represents the image of the organization as a whole. A system view permits a reader to look beyond the surface of events to the fundamental structures of attitudes and behavior in order to obtain an advantage for constructive change that was not accessible via a concentration on specific occasions. The author calls for the application of system maps or diagrams that depict the core aspects of systems and how they fuse or connect (Senge 41).
Basing on the organizational theory, an organization or institution has the ability to understand and gain insight from experiences by observation, analysis, experimentation, and the willingness to examine failures and success. In this concept, an organization or institution learn through individuals who act as mediators for them. In addition, individuals also learn from organizations or are controlled by the organization’s learning system. The author clearly illustrates this notion by labeling organizations with the best opportunities to succeed. The author argues that organizations that regularly communicate, generate, and control their intellectual assets as organizations, allow people to frequently expand their capacity to initiate the results they really desire. Moreover, such organizations nurture expansive and new thinking patterns, where collective aspiration is free (Senge 45-49).
Summarily, this book offers an insight on the importance of systems” which he perceived as indispensable for the particular qualities that strengthen long-term institutional change. In this book, the author proposes the system thinking approach to assist institutions and organizations transform into a learning organization, which is build around shared vision, team learning, personal mastery, and mental models. Utilizing ideas that emerge in disciplines from religion to science, the author explains why the learning institutions or organizations matters.
Work Cited
Senge, Peter. The fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New
York: Currency Doubleday, 1990. Print.