The tools of measuring the process of unlearning

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

One of the most important factors in the acquisition of the new knowledge that leads to cause problems and failures in the implementation of the change project is the dependency on the old and outdated knowledge. This dependency can be in the different layers and levels of the organization. To overcome this problem, organizations must take the appropriate actions to reduce or eliminate their dependence on the old knowledge. This set of actions and activities that results in reducing the negative effects of obsolete knowledge in the organization, is called ‘unlearning’. The purpose of this paper is to develop a tool for measuring unlearning process in the organization that has acceptable reliability and validity. Initially, using field studies and the related literature review, approaches and actions that organizations can apply for unlearning were identified and then based on them, the initial questionnaire was constructed in 36 items. In the next phase, content validity was evaluated by experts in terms of three criteria: clarity, relevance and comprehensiveness, and after applying comments and corrections, the final questionnaire consists of 28 items in 7 approaches was developed. Following this, the questionnaire was tested among a sample of 134 software companies. By using the data collected, its validity was assessed through factor analysis, and convergent and divergent validity was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. In addition, construct validity through factor analysis and also convergent and divergent validity were assessed by Pearson correlation coefficient and absolute fit indices, adaptive and thrifty measurement model was examined.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Akgün, A. E., Byrne, J. C., Lynn, G. S., & Keskin, H. (2007). Organizational unlearning as changes in beliefs and routines in organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 20(6): 794-812.
Akgün, A. E., Lynn, G. S., & Byrne, J. C. (2006). Antecedents and Consequences of Unlearning in New Product Development Teams. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 23(1): 73-88.
Alreck, P., & Settle, R. (1995). Guidelines and Strategies for Conducting a survey.The survey Research Handbook. Richard D. Irwin, Inc., Chicago.
Becker, K. L. (2003). Managing Change in Regionally-based Organisations: understanding the need for individual and organisational unlearning. Paper presented at the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Fremantle, Australia.
Becker, K. L. (2007). Individual and Organizational Unlearning: Directions for Future Research. International Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 9(7): 659-670.
Berman, S. L., Down, J., & Hill, C. W. L. (2002). Tacit Knowledge as a Source of Competitive Advantage in the National Basketball Association. The Academy of Management Journal, 45(1): 13-31.
Bettis, R. A., & Prahalad, C. K. (1995). The dominant logic: Retrospective and extension. Strategic Management Journal, 16(1): 5-14.
Bhattacharya, S. & Momaya, K. (2009). Interpretive Structural Modeling of Growth Enablers in Construction Companies. Singapore Management Review,31(1): 73-97.
Box, George E. P.; Draper, Norman, R. (1987). Empirical model-building and response surfaces. Wiley series in probability and mathematical statistics. Oxford, England: John Wiley & Sons. xiv 669 pp.
Casillas, J. C., Acedo, F. J., & Barbero., J. L. (2010). Learning, unlearning and internationalisation: Evidence from the pre-export phase. International Journal of Information Management, 30: 162-173.
Cegarra-Navarro, J.-G., Eldridge, S., & Martinez-Martinez, A. (2010). Managing environmental knowledge through unlearning in Spanish hospitality companies. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(2): 249-257.
Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., Sánchez-Vidal, M. E., & Cegarra-Leiva, D. (2011). Balancing exploration and exploitation of knowledge through an unlearning context: An empirical investigation in SMEs. Management Decision, 49(7): 1099 -1119.
Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., & Arcas-Lario., N. (2011). Building co-operative knowledge through an unlearning context. Management Research Review, 34(5): 609-623.
Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., Cepeda-Carrion, G., & Jimenez- Jimenez, D. (2010). Linking Unlearning with Innovation through Organizational Memory and Technology. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 8(1): 1-10.
Chao, L., Ya-Ling, H., Ming, J., & Chen, C. (2011). Relationships among unlearning, knowledge application, and new product development performance: Exploring the moderating effect of the information processing mechanism. African Journal of Business Management, 5(13): 5297-5310.
Cohen, W. M., & Levinthal, D. A. (1990). Absorptive capacity: a new  perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative science quarterly, 35: 128-152.
Coopper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (2003). Business Research Methods, 8th ed., pp. 23-240.
Davenport, T., & Prusak, L. (1998). Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know: Harvard Business School Press.
Edwards, J., Thomas, M., Rosenfeld, P., & Booth-Kewley, S. (1995). How to Conduct Organizational Surveys.
Fauchart, E. (2006). Moral Hazard and the Role of Users in Learning from Accidents. Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management, 14(2): 97-106.
Fiol, C. M., & Lyles, M. A. (1985). Organizational Learning. Academy of Management Review, 10(4): 803-813.
Gallhofer, I., & Saris, W. (2007). Design, evaluation & analysis of questionnaires for survey research.
Grant, J., Davis, L. (1997). Selection & Use of Content Experts for Instrument Development. Reearch in Nursing & Health, 20: 269-274.
Hair,J., Anderson, R., & Black, W. (1995). Multivariate data analysis, 4th ed. Englewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Hamel, G., & Prahalad, C. K. (1994). Competing for the Future: breakthrough strategies for seizing control of your industry and creating the markets of tomorrow: Harvard business school press.
Hedberg, B. (1981). How organizations learn and unlearn. In P. C. Nystrom, & W. H. Starbuck (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Design, volume 1: 3-27. New York: Oxford University Press.
Howells, J., & Mitev, N. (2008). Working paper: A Sceptical Approach to the Concept of Unlearning: Empirical Evidence on Learning and Unlearning in Two Major Process Studies of ICT Systems Implementation: Center for Organizational Renewal and Evolution.
Klein, J. I. (1989). Parenthetic Learning in Organizations: Toward the Unlearning of the Unlearning Model. Journal of Management Studies, 26(3): 291-308.
Krejcie, R., & Morgan, D. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurmant, 607-610.
Lee, K., & Lim, C., (2001). Technological Regimes, catching-up and leapfrogging: findings from the korean industries, Research Policy, 30(No. 3): 459-483
Lee, T. S. (2011). The effects of challenge and hindrance stressors on unlearning and NPD success: The moderating role of team conflict. African Journal of Business Management, 5(5): 1843-1856.
Leonard-Barton, D. (1992). Core capabilities and core rigidities: a paradox in managing new product development. strategic management journal, 13: 111-125.
Martensson M. (2000). "A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool"; Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol.4, N.3.
Martin de Holan, P., & Philiphs, N. (2006). Rememberence of things past? The Dynamics of Organizational Forgetting, Management Science, Vol 50(No. 10): 1603-1613.
Martin de Holan, P., & Philiphs, N. (2005). Organizational forgetting. In M. Easterby-Smith, & M. A. Lyles (Eds.), The Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management: 393-409. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Martin de Holan, P., & Philiphs, N. (2006). Out with the old, in with the new, Financial Times: Vol 6.
Martin de Holan, P., & Phillips, N. (2010). Organizational Forgetting. In M. Easterby-Smith, & M. A. Lyles (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management. forthcoming.
Miles, G., Miles, R. E., Perrone, V., & Edvinsson, L. (1998). Some Conceptual and research barriers to the utilization of knowledge. California Management Review. Berkeley, Vol. 40(No. 3): 281-288.
Miller, D. (1990). The Icarus Paradox: How Exceptional Companies Bring about Their Own Downfall: New Lessons in the Dynamics of Corporate Success, Decline, and Renewal: HarperBusiness.
Miller, D. (1994). What happens after success: the perils of excellence. Journal of Management Studies, 31(3): 325-358.
Muneera, E., & Zulkiflee, A. S. (2011). Considering Learning, Unlearning in Professional Development For Construction Project Managers: Pilot Study. International Conference on Consruction and Project Management, 15.
Nystrom, P. C., & Starbuck, W. H. (1984). To Avoid Organizational Crises, Unlearn. Organizational Dynamics, 12(4): 53-65.
Pighin, M & Marzona, A. (2011). Unlearning/Relearning in Processes of Business Information Systems Innovation. Journal of Iinformation And Organizational Science, 35(1).
Prahalad, C. K., & Bettis, R. A. (1986). The dominant logic: A new linkage between diversity and performance. Strategic Management Journal, 7(6): 485-501.
Rezazade Mehrizi, M.H. (2011). Managing old and obsolete knowledge. The PHD thesis. Management and Economics school,  Sharif university of technology.
Rubio, DMG., Berg-Weger, M., Lee, E. & Rouch, Sh. (2003). Objectifying Content Validity: Conducting a Content Validity in Social Work Research. ProQuest Psychology Journal, 27:94.
Sherwood, D. (2000). The Unlearning Organisation. Business Strategy Review, 11(3): 31-40.
Starbuck, W. H. (1996). Unlearning Ineffective or Obsolete Technologies. International Journal of Technology Management, 11: 725-737.
Tsang, E. W. K. (2008). Transferring Knowledge to Acquisition Joint Ventures: An Organizational Unlearning Perspective. Management Learning, 39(1): 5-20.
Tsang, E. W. K., & Zahra, S. A. (2008). Organizational unlearning. Human Relations, 61(10): 1435–1462.
Wong, S. P., Cheung, S., Yiu, L.Y., & Hardie M. (2011). The unlearning dimension of organizational learning in construction projects. International Journal of Project Management, 13: 1-12.
Yildiz, H. E., & Fey, C. F. (2010). Compatibility and unlearning in knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(4): 448-456.