Organizational unlearning as changes in beliefs and routines in organizations

TLDR

Organizational learning and unlearning are widely studied in business and academia, yet little is known about how to conceptualize and operationalize unlearning. The paper aims to discuss organizational unlearning using organizational change and memory literature to advance learning and change scholarship. Unlearning is defined as eliminating organizational memory and operationalized by altering beliefs and routines, with four types—reinventive, formative, operative, and adjustive—depending on environmental conditions. Organizations must first unlearn entrenched beliefs and methods that create rules and competency traps to become receptive to new market and technology information.

Abstract

Purpose Organizational learning and unlearning is a popular and important topic in business as well as academia. Even though there is a plethora of studies on organizational learning, surprisingly little is known about the conceptualization and operationalization of organizational unlearning. The purpose of this paper is to discuss organizational unlearning based on the organizational change and memory literature enhancing the organizational learning and change scholarship. Design/methodology/approach It is argued that unlearning is conceptualized as organizational memory eliminating, and is operationalized as changing beliefs and routines covariates in organizations. This is followed with a discussion of unlearning types, specifically, reinventive, formative, operative and adjustive, which are contingent on the environmental conditions. Finally, future research suggestions are proposed to leverage understanding on unlearning in the literature. Findings Shows that organizations first need to unlearn established beliefs and methods which have created rules and competency traps, in order to be receptive to new market and technology information. Originality/value This paper is of value in shedding light on the unlearning concept based on the organizational memory and change literature.