Constructing Contributions to Organizational Learning

Easterby‐Smith, Mark; Antonacopoulou, Elena P.; Simm, David; Lyles, Marjorie A.

doi:10.1177/1350507604048268

Cited by 68 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Many prior studies on organizational unlearning have assumed that the term unlearning refers to a process of clearing out old routines and beliefs that no longer meet current challenges (Cegarra-Navarro, Eldridge, & Wensley, 2014;Tsang & Zahra, 2008). The idea behind unlearning is that the inability to dispose of outdated knowledge may become a major hindrance to learning or innovation (Easterby-Smith et al, 2004;Fernandez et al, 2012). That is, discarding obsolete knowledge is critical for gaining new knowledge; thus, the inefficiency with which many organizations promote unlearning is evidence of a crucial weakness (Hedberg, 1981).…”

Section: Unlearningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Goal orientation, critical reflection, and unlearning: An individual‐level study

Matsuo

2017

Human Resource Dev Quarterly

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Although individual unlearning is significant for personal growth and development, few studies have investigated this process quantitatively. The main goal of this study was to examine the antecedents of individual unlearning in terms of goal orientations and reflective activities using survey data from 271 employees of Japanese organizations (including municipal government employees, human resource development [HRD] trainers from a consulting firm, and hospital nurses). The results indicated that learning goal orientation had an indirect effect on unlearning through reflection and critical reflection as well as through critical reflection only. Performance goal orientation also had an indirect effect on unlearning through reflection and, subsequently, through critical reflection. The findings suggest that critical reflection plays a key role in linking goal orientations with individual unlearning. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

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Section: Unlearningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Goal orientation, critical reflection, and unlearning: An individual‐level study

Matsuo

2017

Human Resource Dev Quarterly

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“…The framework of Argyris and Schön (1974, 1978 complements this model by explicitly furthering insight into two of these aspects and implicitly supporting two others. More in general, Argyris and Schön were the first to depart from a purely descriptive, academic-oriented approach to analyzing organizational learning and to adopt a more prescriptive, practice-oriented approach to developing learning organizations (EasterbySmith and Lyles 2003;Easterby-Smith et al 2004;Tsang 1997). The army case involved is the Polish campaign and its aftermath (1939)(1940), which case more than later German operations shows the significance of learning from past events for future performance.…”

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confidence: 99%

Learning under conditions of hierarchy and discipline: the case of the German Army, 1939–1940

Visser

2008

Learn Inq

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To survive in and adapt to dynamic, turbulent, and complex environments, organizations need to engage in learning. This truism is particularly relevant for army organizations in times of war and armed conflict. In this article a case of army operations during World War II is analyzed on the basis of } Ortenblad's integrated model of the learning organization and Argyris and Schön's theory of action approach. Among others, it is found that survival of and adaptation to combat conditions is possible through singleloop learning, provided that this learning takes place in an open and productive learning climate. This and other conclusions have important implications for theory and practice of organizational learning under conditions of hierarchy and discipline.

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“…Hedberg () argued that discarding obsolete knowledge is critical for gaining new knowledge, and the lack of ability to engage in unlearning is a crucial weakness of many organizations. The idea behind unlearning is that the inability to forget may become a major hindrance to further learning or innovation (Easterby‐Smith et al ., ; Fernandez et al ., ). According to Akgun et al .…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Unlearning of Managerial Skills: A Qualitative Study of Executive Officers

Matsuo

2017

European Management Review

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Although the abilities of executive officers to unlearn may have a significant impact on organizational unlearning, few studies have investigated the individual unlearning transition. The goal of this study was to examine the managerial unlearning process upon promotion from senior manager to executive officer, based on the upper echelons perspective and leadership pipeline model. Analyses of interview data with 46 executive officers at medium and large-sized Japanese firms indicated that they unlearned and learned their managerial skills in relation to 'decision making', 'delegation and motivation', and 'collecting information', and that the unlearning process was discontinuous. Specifically, decision making skills were switched from 'short-term, analytic, and partial' to 'longterm, intuitive, and holistic'. Skills in delegation and motivation were transformed from 'directive' to 'dedicated and entrusting'. Skills in collecting information were switched from 'direct collection' to 'network-based collection'. This study contributes to the literature on managerial skills by showing empirically the discontinuous nature of management transitions with regard to an unlearning perspective.

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Constructing Contributions to Organizational Learning

Cited by 68 publications

References 37 publications

Goal orientation, critical reflection, and unlearning: An individual‐level study

Goal orientation, critical reflection, and unlearning: An individual‐level study

Learning under conditions of hierarchy and discipline: the case of the German Army, 1939–1940

The Unlearning of Managerial Skills: A Qualitative Study of Executive Officers

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