Abstract
This paper presents a case study that addresses factors that influence unlearning at the individual level. These factors were studied in a public sector organization located in a country characterized by high power distance. The case organization went through a change process of a daily routine caused by the introduction of a new technology. Data were collected through semi structured face-to-face interviews with shop floor agents in the state of Santa Catarina/Brazil. The results highlight the strong influence of the support of formal leaders on the unlearning process of individuals, suggesting that managers operating in a high power distance environment have to make bigger efforts compared to their counterparts in small power distance settings to promote unlearning processes of employees. The study advances the limited body of knowledge regarding unlearning in general and unlearning at the individual level in particular. It also stresses the influence of the national cultural dimension on the unlearning process of individuals.
Highlights
Changes in organizations have become more and more frequent in the 21st century
We addressed an under-researched field of study, namely unlearning
Among the external factors that may influence individual unlearning, we stressed the national culture as a promising lens for exploring unlearning at the individual level
Summary
Changes in organizations have become more and more frequent in the 21st century. many changes in organizations have their origin in the advancement of technology (Mehrizi and Lashkarbolouki, 2016). Heizmann et al, 2018; Wang and Guan, 2018) have shown the effect of national culture on learning processes in organizations at the individual level, we did not identify similar studies that connected unlearning with national culture Against this background, in the present paper, the following research question was addressed: What factors influence unlearning at the individual level in a company located in a high power http://www.open-jim.org http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0. Our research aims to better understand unlearning at the individual level and thereby extends the underdeveloped body of knowledge regarding unlearning with an empirical study of the unlearning process in an organization located in a high power distance country. The final section outlines the conclusion of the research and highlights some suggestions for future research
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