The Fifth Discipline

Organisations that keep learning outlast those that merely plan, which is the argument Peter M. Senge develops in The Fifth Discipline. Senge sets out five disciplines that a learning organisation depends on, with systems thinking as the one that binds the others together. Personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning each get sustained treatment, illustrated by examples from companies that tried them and from ones that did not. The book has shaped management vocabulary since it appeared, and this Random House edition carries the updated material that extends the original argument into later practice. This edition covers: • The five disciplines, with systems thinking as the integrating idea • Tools for diagnosing why organisational problems keep recurring • Examples drawn from businesses, schools and public institutions • Material written for leaders, consultants and anyone managing change A standing reference for managers and organisational development practitioners, available at Boipoka.