IntroductionThe business environment today is no longer just corporate but global. Businesses, both local and multinational, are forced (by globalization and technological changes) to broaden their learning agenda to address the full range of challenges to meet and exceed the expectations of a sustainable global village. Learning means acquiring new knowledge, skills, behaviors or values or changing them and is more of a process because it is contextual and builds on and is shaped by what we already know. Learning as a process involves change in organizational behavior as a result of new knowledge or experiences. Peter Sange (1994) described organizational learning as focusing on the practice of five principles that will not only create the desired future for the organization, but will give it the edge it needs to survive in today's rapidly growing business environment and highly competitive. These five principles are mentioned below:1. Systems thinking: Organizations should strive to see the business environment as a “whole system” made up of parts and focus on building relationships with these parts to promote harmony with the system rather than working against it. This helps the organization create long-term solutions to challenges.2. Team learning: Organizations should encourage team bias to improve the sense of synergy and productivity. Team learning has a positive impact on individuals as their knowledge bases are broadened and a certain bond is built which creates a more supportive working environment through mutual respect. This is geared towards achieving organizational goals, collectively.3. Shared vision: Every part of a system needs to understand why it exists. Or… middle of the paper… anationalizing learning and knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Smith, MK (2003) 'Learning Theory', the encyclopedia of informal education, [online] Available from www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm, last accessed 6 April 2012Atherton JS (2011 ) Learning and teaching; what is learning? [Online] available from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/whatlearn.htm, accessed 6 April 2012Senge, P. et al. (1994) The Fifth Discipline Field book: strategies and tools for building a learning organization [online] available from: http://www.solonline.org/organizational_overview, accessed 7 April 2012Child, J. Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice (2005 ), Blackwell Publishing website http://systems-thinkers.org/index.php/resources/resource/reviews/the_fifth_discipline_fieldbook_strategies_and_tools_for_building_a_learning.
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