In response to your query about theoretical underpinnings for LO, I have
found the works by Wm Torbert (and the bibliographies therein) to be the
most helpful. His most recent book is THE POWER OF BALANCE (Sage, 1991),
and an earlier very helpful one (though now out of print) is MANAGING THE
CORPORATE DREAM (1987). He uses the psychological development work of
Robert Kegan, THE EVOLVING SELF, as well as building on the work of Chris
Argyris et al regarding action science, which P. Senge also cites. His
philosophical orientation is largely implicit, but his focus throughout is
on the importance of managers growing in their own self-knowledge as a way
of avoiding the "projections" etc that other folks have recently brought
up on this network. If you are interested, there is a paper in the 1994
Proceedings of the International Assoc for Business and Society (IABS) on
the philosophical underpinnings of Tobert's (and I believe Senge's) work,
entitled "Action Inquiry: An Empirical Spirituality for Learning
Organizations." If you do not have access to these Proceedings, I can
send you a copy.
Gene
Gene Donahue
College of Business Administration
Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha NE 68178
Ph: 402.280.2193
Fx: 402.280.5590
gdonahue@creighton.edu