Exploratory Study on Learning Organization: A Case Study in Faculty of Economics of a Private University in Jakarta, Indonesia

University is a center of knowledge that produces both ideas and thinkers. However, can such an institution be automatically called learning organization? Learning is, according to Senge (1990), the only means of survival in this changing world. In a hierarchical organization such as a faculty, many things interfere with the learning process, just as other types of organization. The reason Faculty of Economics was chosen for this study was the fact that it is the oldest and largest faculty in the university it belongs to. This paper attempts to study whether or not the Faculty of Economics is a learning organization based on Senge's five disciplines. This paper used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to explain the learning organization in the context of educational institution. The method of data collection was through surveys and in-depth interviews. The questionnaire was based on Neefe's (2001) and the interview was based on Senge's (1990). The respondents were both academic and administrative employees of the faculty, to provide a broader view. According to the quantitative approach, most respondents agreed that the faculty of Economics is a learning organization. However, the qualitative approach resulted in a fairly different conclusion. While the first approach shows the concept of learning organization, the latter shows that things are not as they seem since there are forces that drive the system in an invisible way. Indeed, both approaches complement one another, providing a wholesome image of the faculty. This research was started with the quantitative approach, and then complemented by the qualitative approach. The findings also show that system thinking is the most fundamental discipline but it is still greatly affected by the mental models of the faculty members.