Editorial Review

Peter Senge, founder of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT's Sloan School of Management, experienced an epiphany while meditating one morning back in the fall of 1987. That was the day he first saw the possibilities of a "learning organization" that used "systems thinking" as the primary tenet of a revolutionary management philosophy. He advanced the concept into this primer, originally released in 1990, written for those interested in integrating his philosophy into their corporate culture.Read more

Reviews (74)

A "leverage point" in its own right
An extremely insightful book on optimizing organizational life. Senge identifies several critical disciplines for organizations to develop: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, and team learning.
Think beyond what we see is our own "world"...
I read The Fifth Discipline back in 1999 and it is probably one of the best books I have read in terms of being in-line with my beliefs on continuous learning. The author, Peter Senge, examines five disciplines of a model he calls the "learning organization". These components are: Systems Thinking, Personal Mastery, Shared Vision, Team Learning, and Mental Models. Although all of the disciplines are interrelated and make up the "learning organization", Senge highlights Systems Thinking as the 5th discipline. Using the mental models
after reading the fifth discipline textbook, i think this book will educate people to used this fifth discipline in the company, and on the reality. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Leadership    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Organization Development    8. Organizational Behavior    9. Organizational effectiveness    10. Teams in the workplace    11. Business & Economics / General    12. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (6)

Great for connecting the dots...
This book is a staple for anyone looking to connect the dots between tangible shareholder value and intangible assets.In our work at ThinkShed we often see companies struggling to make the connection between culture (as a metaphor and measure of their operating model) and the direct impact it can have on shareholder value. A great foundation for understanding corporate culture
This book, while very academic, gives a solid understanding of several theories about corporate culture and its effects on performance (both short-term and long-term).Rather than starting out with an agenda, they studied hundreds of companies taking analyst's and insider's opinions for information about the culture and then looked at the results.Probably the best finding was that the most successful cultures were those that valued all three interests- customers, shareholders, and employees- consistently.

important research on company performance
If you buy into the argument that the only responsibility of a business is to its stockholders and that paying attention to areas outside of this will result in a lesser-performing company, the research of two Harvard Business School professors suggests just the opposite. John Kotter and James Heskett studied the performance of 207 large firms over an 11-year period. They wrote of their findings: Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Corporate & Business History - General    4. Corporate Culture    5. Corporations    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Management    8. Management - General    9. Organizational effectiveness    10. Performance    11. Business & Economics / Management Science    12. Organizational theory & behaviour    13. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (1)

Lean Lean
A great tip and synopsis pocket book covering the tools and techniques for lean enterprise ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Industrial management   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Business    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Organizational Behavior    7. Organizational Behavior In Business    8. Business & Economics / Organizational Behavior    9. Nuclear issues   

Reviews (113)

Little more than a collection of anecdotes
Intrigued by the relative frequency of citation of this book in the new "web 2.0" universe, I was disappointed to find only a sequence of factoids on social experiments and little in the way of analysis.From the very beginning of the book the reader is invited to agree with the central thesis (that a crowd of independent individuals does better than a smaller elite group) and it very much feels like evidence is carefully selected to reinforce the author's argument.The book could have been twice as thin without losing much of its substance.I would qualify it as a light business read, entertaining but not quite convincing if you're not part of the choir.

Great book on human behavior!
If you want to know more about the importance of shedding all political alliegences and affiliations, read this book. What a wonderful body of knowledge with just the right stories to highlight the profound insights into the recesses of our heart.

Why do the Crowds buy this book if they are so Wise?
This book is basically a magazine article that has been expanded to fill out an entire book (this has been noted by others)
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Subjects:  1. Common good    2. Consensus (Social sciences)    3. Consumer Behavior - General    4. Group decision making    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Political Process - General    7. Social Organization    8. Social Psychology    9. Social Science    10. Social sciences    11. Sociology    12. Sociology - General    13. Sociology - Social Theory    14. Social Science / General    15. Business & Economics    16. Business   

Reviews (4)

An indispensible manual for social change today
This book, full of anecdotes from successful community organizations, is chockful of helpful advice, whether you're part of an organization seeking social change, or you are an individual interested in how people are effecting change in today's political climate.The worksheets on campaign planning and the chapter on media are particularly helpful.I highly recommend it.

You can change the world!
I really found this book both inspiring and realistic.Sen acknowledges the challenges (especially in today's political climate) but lays out what it takes to get the job done. Her practical, real-world guidance walks you through organizing your local community to help achieve change and get results on the issues you care about.

This is a must-have book for social change organizers!
Given the critical importance of social change today, it is stunning that most of the recent books on community organizing focus on personal reflections and sociological analyses instead of giving us the whole package.In "Stir It Up," Rinku Sen manages to squeeze a powerful vision, racial and social justice analysis, profiles of organizing groups, a detailed contact list of organizations and networks, and tools for creating real change into two hundred pages.This is a watershed book for the social justice organizing movement, illuminating the principles and practices that ground multi-racial, social justice, racial justice, and direct action organizations that have developed in the past twenty-five years.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Community development    4. Community organization    5. Community power    6. Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    7. Political Advocacy    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Public Policy - Social Policy    10. Social action    11. United States    12. Business & Economics / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    13. Community care    14. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (10)

Useful frame for understanding our behavior in organizations
This book provides an elegant framework for understanding our behavior in human systems.It is accessible and powerful.

Wow!I feel as if I was blind and now I SEE.
I read this book about 6 years a go as a part of my graduate program on organizational learning.My reaction at that time was, "Wow! I feel as if I was blind and Now I See!."It was like I gained a secret lens through which the organizational behaviors were making more sense to me.I felt so enthralled with the book, I called the number on the back of the book to inquire how I could explore, experience and learn the Seeing Systems concepts further.I have not done that before or since.6 years later, I still feel Barry Oshry's teachings are one of real gems in understanding organizations and their behavior mysteries.I have integrated these concepts into my own ways of thinking and being and use them to generate partnerships for impact.I most highly recommend this book to anyone who works with organizations including executives, organizational developers and change agents.

An exciting way of seing systems
A first rate professional book. It deals with complex issues in a clear, intelligent and original way. The book offers a lot of added value to both consultants and managers. I find myself leafing through it many times, never failing to find new insights. The book contains both a thorough theoretical analysis and practical tools and concrete tips for dealing with tough issues that impact organizations, such as power, accountability and the "positional trap" . The book is full of inpiring insights on the possibilities of making organizations more robust through empowering people. After reading the book, we cannot help it but seing systems in a new and refreshing way. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Life - Inspirational    3. Negotiating    4. Organizational theory & behaviour    5. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (2)

A BUSINESS ANIMAL'S BOOK
THE AUTHOR TELLS THE STORIES WITH SUCH A MATTER OF FACT VOICE THAT IS EASY TO FOLLOW AND FUN TO KNOW HOW FROLICKY THE AIRLINE IS.WHEN ONE IS READING IT, S/HE THINKS THAT SOUTHWEST IS THE BEST PLACE TO WORK.I HAVE NOT HEARD MANY SAY SUCH NICE THINGS ABOUT THEIR OCCUPATION OR COMPANY.
weLEAD Book Review from the Editor of leadingtoday.org
Lessons in Loyalty is a fascinating book to read. For years, Southwest Airlines has become a legendary example of the power of servant leadership principles. Its achievements are impressive considering the competitive, cut-throat airline industry in which it thrives. Southwest Airlines has been named "one of the "Top Five Best Companies to Work for in America" by Fortune Magazine, It also has had the fewest customer complaints 18 years in a row as reported by the DOT Air Travel Consumer Report. The Southwest Airlines has been profitable for 31 consecutive years, named the "2nd Most Admired Company in America by Fortune Magazine, and has an average employee turnover rate of less than 10%. If you made a $10,000 investment in Southwest Airlines in 1972, it would be worth more than $10 million today. Are you impressed yet? How they did this is a captivating read and the author tells gives us the real reasons.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Organizational Behavior   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    5. Corporations    6. Growth    7. Industries - Retailing    8. Leadership    9. Management    10. Organizational Behavior    11. Organizational change    12. Product Management    13. Strategic Planning    14. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    15. Sales & marketing   

Reviews (10)

Debra Smith
Debra knows and applies TOC as well as anyone including Goldratt.This book is still a key part to understanding TOC.

Good book, but stack it with others...
This is a grate book that explains how measurment indicators might confuse management, and make mistakes that really happen in buissness.In states several measurment indicators based on TOC that help in understanding what should be done in the company.
Great TOC book
Debra has done a nice job with this book.I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Theory of Constraints. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - Managerial    2. Accounting Theory    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Managerial accounting    8. Manufacturing    9. Theory of constraints (Managem    10. Theory of constraints (Management)    11. Business & Economics / Production & Operations Management    12. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Engineering - Industrial    3. Management - General    4. Manufacturing    5. Operations Management    6. Production & Operations Management    7. Production Engineering    8. Quality Control    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology    11. Work design    12. Work measurement    13. Organizational theory & behaviour    14. Production & quality control management    15. Technology / Engineering / Industrial   

Reviews (50)

Some good Points but not much ground-breaking information
This book was fairly well written with some interesting and helpful points. The idea of using Jesus as the main subject of assessment in this book is a good choice in my view. However, I finished the book without being able to say that anything I read REALLY struck a chord or at least made me say "this is great stuff!"
Superb Devotional Booklet for Christian Leaders!
I didn't expect this title to be a devotional work.Instead, I was ready to find an instructional volume filled with leadership principles from the life of Jesus.While at first disappointed, I continued to read and to find hope and motivation as a Christian leader.
Whose Your CEO?

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Subjects:  1. Biblical teaching    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Christianity    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Executive Management    8. Executive ability    9. General    10. Jesus Christ    11. Leadership    12. Management    13. Personal Growth - General    14. Religious aspects    15. Success in business    16. Business & Economics / General    17. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (16)

Pioneering work
This is a pioneering book, which provides a generalist approach to dealing with cross-cultural issues with many excellent examples. Hofstede was one of the first to bring the study of how culture affects human interaction in the field of business. The quantifying approach is very similar that cultural anthropologists use.As with all pioneering works there is some criticism about conflict resolution as other reviewers have pointed out. Another central criticisms of this model has been that nation state and culture are always presumed to be the same. Local culture does not follow political boundaries.Some readers might be tempted to think of people in simple categories, which is precisely what Hofstede counsels that we should attempt to avoid. Cultures and organizations gives good insights on how "Groupthink" controls our lives and how we could improve interaction. This is a good book for international managers and students of culture.

Science or Dogma?
Is this book scientific or dogma? Science employs unambiguous concepts, does not ignore data that contradicts; and revises in the light of valid critique. This book fails all these tests. For a comprehensive critique of its many flaws see Professor Brendan. McSweeney's widely cited paper in Human Relations(2002) 55.1. To take an example from the Hofstede's book: they state that "the masculinity-femininity dimension affects ways of handling industrial conflicts. In the United States as well as in other masculine cultures such as Britain and Ireland) there is a feeling that conflicts should be resolved by a good fight ... the industrial relations scenes in these countries is marked by such fights. If possible management tries to avoid having to deal with labor unions at all." (p.143). This claim first appeared in Hofstede (1991) and later in Hofstede (2001). Test 1: a national culture does not affect national managers but only national labor. Inconsistent. Test 2: according to the Hofstede's own ranking (p. 121) Japan is the second most masculine country and Germany is more masculine than either the US or Britain. And yet for over fifty years the industrial relations in Japan and Germany have been the least conflictful. The Hofstede's claim is contradicted even by their own data. Test 3: In 2002 McSweeney published a second paper in which he showed that mascluninity-femininity has no predictive or explanatory power in relation to industrial relations. His data showed that sometimes such relations in feminine countries are more aggressive than in masculine countries, sometimes they are less. Despite this data the Hofstede's repeat a claim that is clearly contradicted by the data (others and even their own). A company which believed the Hofstede's claim would be discouraged from considering investing in Britain, Ireland, or the US and would be encouraged to invest in feminine countries such as the Hofstede's Netherlands which they claim is the third most feminine country in the world. Hopefully, not too many are misled by the dogma in this book which bears no relation to reality.

It's good. For a textbook.
I'm a grad student working on an international MBA and this was one of our required texts. I admit to being rather intimidated by all of the buzzwords in it when I first got the book, but after sitting down and actually churning through it, it's not bad at all. It didn't exactly drastically alter my perspective with regards to international/intercultural communications, but it definitely provided some 'hmmm... neat' points to think on.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Intercultural communication    6. International - General    7. International Business Administration    8. Organizational Behavior    9. Organizational Behavior In Business    10. Pluralism (Social sciences)    11. Workplace Culture    12. Business & Economics / General    13. Social, group or collective psychology   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Computers - General Information    5. Economics - General    6. General    7. Information Economics    8. Information Management    9. Knowledge management    10. Management    11. Management - General    12. Management Information Systems    13. Computers / Management Information Systems    14. Databases & data structures    15. Intellectual Capital    16. Knowledge Systems    17. Management of specific areas    18. Organizational Learning    19. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (6)

Outlearning the wolves
Outlearning the wolves, Excellent teaching tool
My undergraduate students love this book!Teaching systems thinking in a military college is not as unlikely as it might seem but it does present challenges.This book has proven very successful as a 'launching pad' for the semester's work, keeping their attention while presenting key concepts succinctly.It's a safe bet that if it can engage people who have 28 hours of tasks to cram into a 24-hour day, it would be worth its weight in gold in a manufacturing setting, a dot.com company, or anywhere busy people are balancing production with growing an organization.

Learning is essential to avoid eternal victimization.
From the beginning, one finds oneself within a paradigm of resigned helplessness.What has always been will always be.For a public school administrator who recognizes the need to break this paradigm, Outlearningthe Wolves provides a graphic yet humorous approach to change.The readeris quick to draw parallels between the life-and-death existence of thesheep and those challenges which face a school faculty.Who are theleaders?Who are the wolves? What is the place of "history" inproblem-solving?Are there alternatives to "fate," or are wealways going to be victims?As a building (high school) principalI willask my Leadership Council to read the book and follow up with discussion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Organizational Behavior    5. Structural Adjustment    6. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (1)

A Good Introductory Book
It covers a breadth of various topics in Group Dynamics. It doesn't go into too much depth though but it suffices in getting the reader's feet wet on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Group Psychology    2. Human Relations In Business    3. Industrial & Organizational Psychology    4. Management - Teams    5. Psychology    6. Teams in the workplace    7. Organizational theory & behaviour    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    9. Social work    10. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (3)

Osland is genius
I got this book after attending her EMBA class at Sabanci University. She is truly one of the 'all stars' in the field. She has the know-how and the right attitude. If you have a chance to attend to her course do it; if not get the book. Very highly recommended.

Well-grounded OB course basics
"The organizational behavior reader" contains twenty chapters, each with two or three readings by recognized academic experts, usually adapted from the original source, e.g., Harvard Business Review. Chapters begin with the psychological contract (1), theories of managing people (2), individual and organizational learning (3), individual and organizational motivation (4), ethics and values (5), personal growth and work stress (6), and later topics include managing diversity (12), leadership (13), decision making (15), performance appraisal (18), and managing change (20). The pantheon of authors features experts such as Henry Mintzberg, Jay Conger, Denise Rousseau, Ed Lawler, Peter Senge, Cary Cooper, Deborah Tannen, Geert Hofstede, Hank Sims, Victor Vroom, Jeffrey Pfeffer, Ray Miles, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter. There are numerous charts, diagrams, graphs and models. Anecdotes and examples are plentiful. Self-assessments are rare. Few of the readings offer empirical data; the emphasis is on mental models, images, and concepts. An Excellent Book!
An Excellent Book.. A Must For All The Managers In Any Organistaion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Industrial & Organizational Psychology    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Organizational Behavior In Business    7. Strategic Planning    8. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    9. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (11)

Useful, No-Nonsense Advice
This is a clearly written, no-nonsense book about politics in a work environment.It is written with women in mind, because they are relatively new to many workplace environments, but its advice is excellent for men as well.Choose this book for a much higher than average ratio of good advice to filler!

It is all then it is none-Not Recommended
With the understanding of "hard work and talent aren't enough", I opened this book and quickly I was bored.
Excellent guide to office politics but a bit plodding here and there
Reardon's topic is winning at office politics -- getting along and rising to the top in a corporation or similar organization by understanding human interactions. This book will be useful to anyone, particularly a new employee or a recent college graduate, who is trying to figure out how things really work on the job.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Life - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Career Development    6. Decision Making & Problem Solving    7. Interpersonal Relations    8. Motivational    9. Office politics    10. Organizational Behavior    11. Organizational Behavior In Business    12. Business & Economics / General   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Management    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Business & Economics / Organizational Behavior    7. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (2)

An OD book with a solid combo of theory and practice
Finally, an OD book with a solid combination of theory and practice.The theory in this book is the most comprehensive model for OD I've ever seen.Simons' model incorporates all functional areas of business.He does an excellent job of looking at the whole organizational picture. This is where many authors have fallen short with theories that only cover one or two functional areas of business leaving you to guess at how to incorporate the rest.This cross-functional approach to OD is not just refreshing; it's quite necessary in today's business environment.
Eloquent and Essential Practicality

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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Leadership    6. Management - General    7. Organization    8. Organization Theory    9. Organizational Behavior    10. Organizational Behavior In Business    11. Organizational change    12. Management & management techniques