Stop eulogizing, complicating or straitjacketing the concept of organizational unlearning, please

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide some comments on the four papers, other than the author’s own, that were included in a recent special issue on organizational unlearning.

Design/methodology/approach

The author carefully reads these papers and identify problems that may hinder unlearning research.

Findings

While each paper has its own merits, a common problem shared by the papers is that the concept of organizational unlearning is unnecessarily eulogized, complicated or straitjacketed.

Research limitations/implications

The author’s discussion focuses only on a problem related directly to the concept of unlearning, and does not cover other, though less serious, issues.

Originality/value

The author’s comments help readers better understand the concept of unlearning and so facilitate the further development of unlearning research.

Citation

Tsang, E.W.K. (2017), "Stop eulogizing, complicating or straitjacketing the concept of organizational unlearning, please", The Learning Organization, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 78-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-11-2016-0084