A Learning Organization in Action: Applying Senge’s Five Disciplines to a Collections Diversity Audit

Abstract

abstract: For more than 30 years, Peter Senge’s theory of learning organizations has influenced the study of leadership and organizations. Researchers have studied various components of his framework: team cognition and mental models, team learning, shared vision, systems thinking, and personal mastery. But few articles have explored what it looks like in practice when the five disciplines of the learning organization are enacted in an organization. This article explores the ways in which these disciplines influenced the implementation and outcomes of a collection diversity audit at Sonoma State University Library. The authors discuss the ways that Senge’s learning organization framework enabled them to create a sustainable model for evaluating diversity in selection and acquisition practices.