The battle over the past: The role of occupational groups in organizational memory

Abstract

This article delves into the intricate processes of memory within occupational groups, with a specific focus on perceiving memory as a way of adapting to a changing environment. We are investigating how individuals from two occupational groups in the university (academic and non-academic) navigate the process of remembering and forgetting to adapt to a changed environment (leadership change). Using two university colleges as case studies, we examine this phenomenon over a 1.5-year period via qualitative interviews. Our findings underscore that distinct occupational groups employ varied approaches to draw upon the past, where the key is in how they “sense” the situation. This article contributes by operationalizing four manifestations of “senses” to elucidate how organizational memory, encompassing both forgetting and remembering, operates as a means of adaptation.