Learning and unlearning: a conceptual note
Abstract
Purpose
Organizational learning and unlearning are often viewed as different and distinct concepts in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the unlearning concept and reassess its position vis-à-vis learning, in particular second-order and double-loop learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper entails a conceptual analysis.
Findings
It is found that there are two conceptual problems with unlearning, and that it is best embedded in the dynamics of the learning process, where it appears to fit well in the “interruption” phase.
Research limitations/implications
The research scope of the paper is limited to a theoretical analysis of organizational learning and unlearning. Implications for theory reside in the importance of unlearning and its relation to learning in current organizations.
Practical implications
The paper has practical implications for organizations wishing to become more adept at learning and unlearning.
Originality/value
The paper is among the first organizational papers to analyze unlearning in direct relation to different phases in the learning dynamics.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author thanks Anders Örtenblad for his constructive and inspiring comments on earlier versions of this paper.
Citation
Visser, M. (2017), "Learning and unlearning: a conceptual note", The Learning Organization, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 49-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-10-2016-0070
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited