The question of how to enhance viability is ever present in the minds of leaders of Non Profit Organizations. By using a methodological pluralism approach involving concepts in organisational learning, appreciative inquiry, systems thinking and the Viable Systems Model, this study investigates the capacity for learning in five Non Profit Organizations and links this capacity to their viability. A case is established through a review of literature that only organizations that adopt a generative learning posture, can survive in times of great change and contextual turbulence. The study, which followed an appreciative inquiry process, interviewed leaders from the five organizations in both semi-structured interviews as well as questionnaires. It found that while learning is taking place all the time in the organizations studied, most of that learning is lost to the organisations for lack of effective capturing, storing, disseminating and rewarding systems. These organisations also lack a clear conceptual framework to guide their learning. The learning present in most of the organizations is of a single loop nature, which is limited in not allowing the critique of the assumptions and worldviews behind the experiences of individuals in the organisation. This study therefore recommends prioritisation of collective learning within the organizations studied by investing in policies, structures and systems that support dialogue and reflective practices. To this end, the study recommends that if these organizations are to better their viability, they will have to develop a more systemic approach not only to their learning but also to their management. Keywords: Learning Organisation, viable systems model, knowledge management, participatory action research, systems thinking and practice, strategic conversations, dialogue, non profit organizations, Appreciative Inquiry, vocabularies of hope. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

The diploma thesis deals with the topic of education of pupils with a different mother tongue in the Czech Republic; the target group are children in the age of compulsory education (approx. age 6 to 15), the target location is Prague. The topic is elaborated from the perspective of the actors of language management - state institutions, elementary schools and non-profit organizations. In the theoretic part, those subjects are characterized; the focus concentrates on the current legislation, the possibilities of funding of teaching Czech as a second language, the methodical support from the state. Non-profit organizations are characterized more in detail and their general role in civil society is explained. The practical part of the thesis describes and analyses the current situation: it identifies problems each actor is dealing with and mostly it captures their positions in the system and mutual interaction. The structure of this part is based on the activities of the non-profit organizations - their offer of the extracurricular, language-education courses for pupils with a different mother tongue, support of elementary schools and people working with this target group as well as communication with the Ministry of Education and active effort to improve the current support. The semi-structured...