Transactive Autobiographical Memory and Organizational Routines

I develop a conceptual model of the micro-foundations of routines that incorporates autobiographical memories, defined as the memories people have of their own lives. I argue that individuals ́ autobiographical memories are transformed into collective declarative memory via transactive memory processes, and that the resulting memory systems play a significant role in the development, adaptation and enactment of routines, and especially those routines that draw on shared narratives of identity and sense-making, culture and social bonding, collective goalsetting and problem solving. I also discuss the model ́s implications for research and practice. INTRODUCTION The recurrent action patterns associated with organizational routines are stored as procedural memory (Cohen & Bacdayan, 1994). At the same time, routines also involve the storage and retrieval of knowledge as declarative memory (Lazaric & Denis, 2005). Both forms of memory interact in the enactment of routines. Action patterns stored as procedural memory trigger the retrieval and deployment of stored knowledge, while such knowledge stored as declarative memory guides and informs patterns of recurrent action. As a result, routines may result in the acquisition of new knowledge and adapt in response to organizational learning (Feldman & Pentland, 2003). At the micro-foundational level, these patterns of interaction and learning imply systems of transactive memory, defined as the process whereby groups of individuals share collaborative memories (Argote, 1999). My theoretical paper focuses on a novel species of declarative transactive memory, namely transactive autobiographical memory, and its role in routines. In summary, I argue that within organizations, individuals ́ autobiographical memories (defined as the memories people have of their own lives) are transformed into organizational memory via transactive memory processes. I further argue that the resulting collective autobiographical memories play a deep and