Organizational Unlearning Research Articles

Digital transformation through organisational unlearning: insights from practitioners’ voice

ABSTRACT This article explores the concept of unlearning in the realm of Digital Transformation (DT), identifying it as a crucial underpinning for effective adaptation and change. The research adopts the engaged scholarship framework, utilizing deductive qualitative analysis to discern patterns and themes related to unlearning in the context of DT. Through semi-structured interviews with practitioners, this study probes the emergence of unlearning in the tide of DT and the specific practices employed to navigate this transition. The findings reveal that entrenched path dependencies often inhibit organizational DT, underscoring the need for unlearning as a strategic response. By listening to the practitioners’ narratives, the research illuminates how the pivotal role of unlearning seems to emerge in the face of DT. The main implications of this study suggest that organizations should embrace unlearning to disrupt ingrained habits and assumptions, thereby enabling a more agile and responsive posture.

The organizational mechanism of new technology implementation: an empirical study in the Chinese construction industry

ABSTRACT In the past decade or so, an increasing number of construction organizations have shifted from traditional CAD to BIM, which requires organizations to make corresponding changes and can be seen as a progressive organizational change. However, existing research knows little about the organizational management mechanisms for BIM implementation. From the perspective of organizational change, considering the role of transformational leadership and organizational unlearning, this study constructs a framework to explore the organizational mechanism of BIM implementation. Based on empirical analysis of 124 samples from mainland China, it was found that transformational leadership contributes to the improvement of an organization’s BIM implementation level and the pathway is mainly achieved through organizational unlearning. This study contributes to the construction industry’s organizational change and new technology implementation by inferring and validating the positive roles of transformational leadership and organizational unlearning in promoting BIM implementation. Research findings can also provide helpful guidance for industry participants to implement BIM within organizations successfully.

Navigating the unlearning landscape: an organizational unlearning taxonomy and an outcome-centric model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of organizational unlearning with a focus on challenging path dependence and its implications on the organizational change field. By generating a taxonomy of unlearning definitions and examining the dimensions, actors and processes involved, the authors aim to offer a holistic understanding of organizational unlearning and its potential applications for organizations facing ambiguity and uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper draws the literature on organizational unlearning to map existing definitions and categorize them into a comprehensive taxonomy to propose a model focused on the outcomes. Findings The findings highlight that organizational unlearning involves the three main organizational dimensions (micro: individuals; meso: groups; macro: organizations) and that the macro-organizational perspective represents the best fit for the concept. Furthermore, the authors’ argue that the most appropriate process for understanding the unlearning phenomenon is through challenge, as it allows the questioning of the present and facilitates critical reflection. Finally, applying organizational unlearning to path dependence concept, the authors’ posit that organizations can overcome negative transfer effects and build new awareness to reinterpret their dependencies in light of environmental changes. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on organizational unlearning by providing a comprehensive taxonomy of definitions, clarifying the dimensions, constructs and processes involved. The integration of challenging path dependence with organizational unlearning offers a novel perspective on the potential for organizational change field. The paper’s findings have practical implications for organizations striving to survive and develop in uncertain environments.

Organizational unlearning as a process: What we know, what we don’t know, what we should know

AbstractAlthough the field of organizational unlearning has recently gained increased interest, its conceptual foundations and raison d’être are still debated. In this review, we aim to revisit various discourses and arguments to advance the understanding of organizational unlearning in management and organization studies. Using an integrative literature review approach with systematic elements, we examine the existing body of research on organizational unlearning. We review the literature from different perspectives, focusing on a process-based understanding in terms of why and how organizations intentionally discard knowledge. Based on our review, we develop an integrative framework that portrays organizational unlearning as a dynamically unfolding process over time. We propose implications and offer research directions that will allow future researchers to develop a more profound understanding of the concept.

Organizational Unlearning: A Bibliometric Study and Visualization Analysis Via CiteSpace

Coping with evolution and the changes it brings to the workplace remains a major concern for organizational leaders. This study explores the hotspots, trends, and future directions of the field of organizational unlearning to complement the extant research. A bibliometric analysis based on the literature collected by the Web of Science database was used to categorize or cluster different authors, their countries, institutions and different keywords (cooperation among authors, co-citation, co-occurrence of keywords), to discover their uniqueness or determine the relationship between them while using CiteSpace software to draw knowledge graphs and then results. This study advances the debate on sustainable knowledge acquisition in organizations and its interaction with organizational unlearning. It directly aids the process of radical change in workplace learning and training models and provides a clear view of the previous literature on organizational unlearning by laying a solid foundation for future research in the field of learning.

Determining factors of individual and organizational unlearning in the generation and realization of ideas: a multigroup analysis from organizational structure

PurposeThis research sought to propose a theoretical model that analyzes the factors associated with unlearning (individual and organizational) and contributes to generating and realizing ideas among young people at the beginning of their careers based on the predominant type of structure.Design/methodology/approachThe study had a sample (n = 971) and used the multivariate data analysis partial least squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM regular) and multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) to identify significant differences between the estimates of the specific parameters of each group (a- Organic/b- Mechanistic).FindingsAll the direct relationships and formulated mediations were found to be supported, except for H6 (ET→EO) within the group that had a primarily mechanistic organizational structure. Thus, the more turbulent the environmental, the more initiative-taking, innovative and risk-taking a company tends to be. However, it remains to be seen whether the organizational structure plays a role in facilitating or hindering this relationship. H1 (IG→IR) indicates that predominantly organic organizations have a stronger and more consistent relationship with the knowledge developed through individual and organizational unlearning process. This knowledge contributes to the idea-generation process and ultimately leads to realizing those ideas.Originality/valueThe article contributes to literature by proposing an original and integrated theoretical model incorporating individual and organizational approaches to unlearning to understand the effect on idea generation and realization.

Unlearning diversity management

Organizational unlearning occurs when organizations cast-off knowledge, beliefs, or routines. A key assumption is that the discarded information inhibits organizational performance. This view ignores the possibility that organizations may intentionally unlearn practices that are useful for some stakeholders. Using qualitative methods over eight years, we studied the processes by which a subsidiary of a French multinational company (MNC) unlearned diversity management when it was sold to a Polish state owner. This case enables us to understand the processes by which organizations unlearn, the power of the institutional environment in shaping the abandonment of diversity management, once a subsidiary changes ownership.

Uncovering the impact of organisational unlearning on low-carbon knowledge search: the mediating role of digital transformation

ABSTRACT As the drive towards carbon neutrality intensifies, an increasing number of firms are searching for low-carbon knowledge to improve their low-carbon operations. Although prior research has verified the benefits of knowledge search, it remains unclear how to facilitate low-carbon knowledge search (LCKS). To fill this gap, we employ organisational learning theory to explore how organisational unlearning impacts LCKS through digital transformation and the moderating effect of control-oriented culture. Using two-waved data from 297 Chinese manufacturers, we utilised hierarchical regression and bootstrapping methods to examine research hypotheses. The findings reveal that organisational unlearning has positive impacts on two dimensions of LCKS, and digital transformation mediates these relationships. Moreover, control-oriented culture attenuates both the mediating role of digital transformation and the influence of organisational unlearning on digital transformation. This research contributes to the field of organisational learning and knowledge search, and offers practical advice for managers to search for low-carbon knowledge.

How does transformational leadership impact organizational unlearning: insights from persistence theories

PurposeEmpirical attempts to recommend enabling mechanisms for organizational unlearning are sparse and have almost neglected the vital role of leadership in transforming organizations through unlearning. Based on the tenets of persistence theories like path-dependence and imprinting theory, this study examines the relationship between transformational leadership and unlearning with the mediating role of knowledge sharing, transparent internal communication and intrapreneurship.Design/methodology/approachTo analyze the hypothesized relationship between these constructs, data were collected from 452 faculty members working in Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) in India. The data were analyzed using Process macro (Hayes, 2022).FindingsThe results show a significant effect of transformational leadership on organizational unlearning. This effect is mediated by transparent internal communication and intrapreneurship. However, knowledge sharing did not mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational unlearning.Practical implicationsThe Fourth Industrial Revolution, Covid-19, the rise of generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and policy reforms have pushed higher educational institutions to transform by unlearning old practices and experimenting with new ones. This paper informs how educational institutions can initiate and sustain the unlearning process.Originality/valuePersistence theories like path-dependence and imprinting theory suggest that organizations often stick with proven success formulas and find it challenging to adopt new practices. Moreover, path dependence theorists advocate the role of an external intervening mechanism to break away from rigid and inefficient routines (or paths). This paper argues that in addition to external events (e.g. crisis, etc.), transformational leaders combined with organizational processes also help in unlearning obsolete knowledge and routines.

Organizational unlearning and service innovation of Chinese service-oriented firms: the moderating role of knowledge integration

ABSTRACT In the context of constructing an ecosystem-oriented business model, this study uses 276 questionnaire data from Chinese service-oriented firms for empirical analysis. After developing a theoretical model associate to the impact of organizational unlearning on service innovation, this study explores the moderating effect of knowledge integration. The results indicate that organizational unlearning has a positive effect on service innovation while knowledge integration has a moderating effect on this relationship. This study not only enriches the analytical framework of knowledge integration from the perspective of organizational unlearning, but also provides valuable insights for firms to optimize service innovation.

How organizational unlearning leverages digital process innovation to improve performance: The moderating effects of smart technologies and environmental turbulence

Digital process innovation has become the key for enterprises to implement digital transformation to optimize production and operation. However, as a radical change, digital process innovation may encounter strong inertia and resistance. How to overcome them to actively promote digital process innovation is crucial for enterprises. Building on organizational change theory, this study introduces organizational unlearning, smart technologies and environmental turbulence to explore how to promote digital process innovation by getting rid of inertia, thus improving performance. This study empirically tests 212 valid samples from Chinese enterprises using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and PROCESS. The results show that digital process innovation mediates the relationship between organizational unlearning and enterprise performance. Also, both smart technologies and environmental turbulence positively moderate the mediation of digital process innovation on the association between organizational unlearning and enterprise performance. This study reveals that organizational unlearning, smart technologies and environmental turbulence are powerful factors to break organizational inertia and promote digital process innovation, which provides fresh and significant insights of how to get rid of inertia in the process of digital transformation for academia and practitioners.

Recent findings on organizational unlearning and intentional forgetting research (2019-2022).

This mini review aims at summarizing the current state-of-the-art of empirical unlearning and intentional forgetting (U/IF) research at the individual, team, and organizational level. It adds to an earlier review and incorporates 31 recent studies from 2019 to 2022. The review reveals that predictors based on the organization's adaptation context (e.g., competitive intensity), organization level (e.g., leadership exploration activities), individual task-related (e.g., features of the routines changed), and person-related level (e.g., cognitive control strategies) variables relate to process variables, such as the type of U/IF, the U/IF content (e.g., success beliefs or failure beliefs), and information processing variables (e.g., team information processing). The outcome variables are at the organizational level (e.g., cross-boundary innovation), team level performance level, the individual task performance level (e.g., errors), and person-related level (e.g., self-esteem). The analyzed studies at the team and organizational levels preferred cross-sectional study designs or in-depth qualitative methods, which severely limits the possibility of making causal statements. In contrast, at the individual-level studies use longitudinal designs as well to make temporal aspects of U/IF visible. But these individual level results are limited in terms of their generalizability to other levels. Even though all studies make valuable contribution to the understanding of antecedents and outcomes of U/IF, the temporal and process-related aspects of how U/IF unfolds at the different levels and subsequent options for its deliberate facilitation remain empirically little elaborated. It is proposed that in addition to studying the antecedents and consequences of U/IF in cross sectional designs, the topic needs more longitudinal designs to capture the nature of the U/IF processes in organizations.

Organizational unlearning: A process of tension imposition, integration, and splitting

AbstractOrganizational unlearning plays a vital role in facilitating new product development (NPD); however, the microprocesses of unlearning (i.e., how to unlearn) remain unclear. We aim to open this black box by investigating how two important dimensions—beliefs and routines—change during the unlearning process, using a longitudinal case study approach. Through a case study of Geely Auto, we identified specific cognitive and behavioral practices in the unlearning process and categorized them into three stages according to their time of occurrence and consequences. By adopting a tension lens, we demonstrate that unlearning involves three sequential steps: tension imposition, integration, and splitting. Our case study demonstrates that unlearning NPD processes involves a complex interweaving of changes in beliefs and routines. We advance the literature on learning by revealing the microprocesses that underlie organizational unlearning, and we open a broad avenue for future research to explore the microfoundations of organizational unlearning.

The Role of Organizational Unlearning in Manufacturing Firms’ Sustainable Digital Innovation: The Mechanism of Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Slack

This study explores the underlying mechanisms of achieving sustainable digital innovation in the context of manufacturing companies. Building on the perspective of organizational unlearning, we propose that organizational unlearning could disrupt current innovation routines and positively relate to the sustainability of digital innovation, the features of which are self-referential improvement and iterative scalability. This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 274 Chinese manufacturing companies and used SmartPLS 4.0 to analyze the data. Drawing insights from data analysis results, this study discovers that organizational-level unlearning is able to make digital innovation achievable and sustainable. In addition, this study articulates the partial mediation mechanism of strategic flexibility and organizational slack. The findings unearth the utility of organizational unlearning to manufacturing companies in the digital context, contribute to the emerging literature on digital innovation by introducing organizational unlearning as a new theoretical perspective for introducing digital transformation, and offer managerial insights to help manufacturing companies leverage organizational unlearning proactively to release its long-term benefits.

Opposites attract: How incumbents learn and unlearn in coopetitive relationships with start-ups

Incumbents increasingly turn to start-ups to benefit from their entrepreneurial spirit and thinking. Incumbents collaborating with start-ups from the same industry can create a relationship that entails both cooperative and competitive elements. While previous research primarily focuses on how both sides learn and gain knowledge, we investigate, from the perspective of incumbents, how the interplay of both learning and unlearning mechanisms unfolds when engaging in coopetitive projects with start-ups. Following a qualitative research approach, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with incumbents from different industries. The results of our thematic analysis show that incumbents dynamically use learning and unlearning mechanisms to develop a coopetition mindset and overcome asymmetrical tensions with start-ups. Furthermore, we find that incumbents revert to previous cognitive and behavioral patterns after the coopetitive project with start-ups has ended. We contribute to a better understanding of incumbent-start-up dynamics and highlight the importance of organizational unlearning in coopetitive settings.

How eco‐control systems enhance carbon performance via low‐carbon supply chain collaboration? The moderating role of organizational unlearning

AbstractDespite the increasing awareness of eco‐control systems (ECS), whether and how a firm's deployment of ECS affect carbon performance is not known. Drawing on organizational learning theory, this study investigates how a firm's implementation of ECS enhances carbon performance via low‐carbon supply chain collaboration, and examines the moderating effect of organizational unlearning. To verify these hypotheses, we conduct hierarchical regression analyses using survey data from 297 Chinese manufacturers. Our results indicate that both supplier and customer low‐carbon collaborations mediate the impact of ECS on carbon performance. In addition, organizational unlearning strengthens the impact of ECS on customer low‐carbon collaboration, but weakens the impact of ECS on supplier low‐carbon collaboration. This study extends the digital transition and sustainability literature by unpacking the “black box” of transforming ECS into carbon performance and considering the contingency role of organizational unlearning. Our findings provide managers with new digital technologies to improve low‐carbon supply chain management and guide governments to appropriately extend policies that accelerate the manufacturing industry's transition to sustainability.

The mediating effect of business process digitization on organizational unlearning and the firms' innovation quality: Evidence from China

The mediating effect of business process digitization on organizational unlearning and the firms' innovation quality: Evidence from China

Research on Knowledge Divestment in the Perspective of Organizational Unlearning

Research on Knowledge Divestment in the Perspective of Organizational Unlearning

How Does Organizational Unlearning Influence Product Innovation Performance? Moderating Effect of Environmental Dynamism.

Product innovation integrates technology, knowledge, management practices, and market innovation, making it essential to gain a competitive advantage. Effective management of dynamic knowledge, which is the foundation of and driving force for product innovation, is a powerful tool that allows a firm to successfully innovate, adapt to environmental changes, and improve its competitiveness. In the “nanosecond age,” unlearning and learning in an organization is crucial to a firm’s ability to promptly update its organizational knowledge and maintain innovation vitality. Based on the dynamic knowledge management perspective, this study integrates and constructs a theoretical model with environmental dynamism as the moderating variable, discusses the impact of organizational unlearning on product innovation performance, and empirically analyzes 208 valid questionnaires in the Yangtze River Delta using the multiple regression method. The results show that organizational unlearning shares a positive relationship with dynamic capabilities and product innovation performance. Dynamic capability is positively related to product innovation performance and has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between organizational unlearning and product innovation performance. Environmental dynamism shares a positive moderating effect on the relationship between organizational unlearning and product innovation performance. This study deepens the existing research on the factors that influence product innovation performance, which may help firms improve their dynamic knowledge management and product innovation performance.

Government Supports, Digital Capability, and Organizational Resilience Capacity during COVID-19: The Moderation Role of Organizational Unlearning

This paper provides an investigation into how different types of government supports can be used to enhance organizational resilience capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on resource orchestration theory, this study examines the effects of direct government support and indirect government support on organizational resilience capacity, the mediation role of digital capability, and the moderation effects of organizational unlearning. The empirical results from 205 Chinese firms show that direct government support and indirect government support have positive effects on organizational resilience capacity, which were mediated by digital capability. In addition, organizational unlearning positively and negatively moderates the positive relationship between direct government support, indirect government support and digital capability. Our theoretical discussion and empirical results contribute to the literature related to organizational resilience, digital capability, government support, and organizational unlearning.