Organizational Unlearning and Knowledge Dynamics

Organizational unlearning refers to the deliberate process by which organisations shed outdated beliefs, routines and mental models to make space for new insights and practices. This concept has gained traction alongside research into knowledge dynamics, which examines how knowledge is created, shared, transformed and stored within complex organisational settings. Together, these fields illuminate the mechanisms through which firms adapt to rapid technological change, shifting market demands and evolving societal expectations. Central themes include the tension between stability and renewal in organisational memory, the role of leadership in fostering a culture of selective forgetting, and the dynamic interplay between individual cognition and collective structures. By unpacking both the triggers for unlearning—such as disruptive innovation or sustainability pressures—and the mechanisms that sustain new knowledge—such as socialisation and formal codification—scholars offer a comprehensive view of how organisations remain resilient and innovative. Practical applications span digital transformation initiatives, green business practices and strategic pivots, underscoring the global significance of managing both what organisations remember and what they intentionally let go.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

Recent studies have deepened our understanding of how unlearning drives organisational change across diverse contexts. First, an empirical investigation of medium-sized manufacturing firms in Spain introduced the concept of regenerative unlearning as a dynamic capability that revitalises knowledge structures. Results demonstrated that intentional discarding of obsolete practices enhances collaboration with customers, boosts organisational agility and accelerates digital transformation. Second, a comprehensive integrative review of management literature proposed a process-based framework of organisational unlearning, outlining stages from awareness of obsolescence through to embedding new routines. The authors identified key antecedents—such as leadership support and environmental jolts—and charted research directions to clarify how unlearning unfolds over time. Third, an inquiry into sustainability transitions at Dutch community-supported agriculture farms combined organisational and pedagogical perspectives to show how unlearning enables double-loop learning. By abandoning entrenched payment and governance models, farms achieved fairer access and deeper solidarity, illustrating unlearning’s generative role in systemic change. Together, these works highlight unlearning as both a conceptual lens and a practical lever for navigating digital, social and environmental challenges.

Organizational Unlearning and Knowledge Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in organizational unlearning and knowledge dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Organisational Unlearning: The process through which an organisation actively discards outdated knowledge, routines or assumptions to enable adaptation and renewal.

Knowledge Dynamics: The study of how knowledge is generated, transmitted, transformed and retained within organisational systems.

Regenerative Unlearning: A capability that enables continuous renewal of knowledge structures, fostering agility and innovation in response to environmental change.

Absorptive Capacity: An organisation’s ability to identify, assimilate and apply external knowledge to drive learning and performance improvement.

References

1. Gliding from regenerative unlearning toward digital transformation via collaboration with customers and organisational agility. Journal of Business Research (2024).
2. Organizational unlearning as a process: What we know, what we don’t know, what we should know. Management Review Quarterly (2024).
3. Unlearning in sustainability transitions: Insight from two Dutch community-supported agriculture farms. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions (2023).