While previous studies have examined how the development of organizational knowledge (organizational learning) affects quality performance, we investigate how the depreciation of organizational knowledge (organizational forgetting) affects vendor quality performance. We use data on 2,732 quality improvement initiatives undertaken by a car manufacturer at 295 vendors. We find that organizational...

How organizations create, transfer, and retain knowledge has been the focus of intensive investigation by management researchers for some time. However, one aspect of the dynamics of knowledge – forgetting – has received comparatively little attention. In this article, we discuss the role of forgetting in the dynamics of organizational knowledge. Based on an exploratory, multiple case study of ...

Although individuals and organizations forget, the ideal organizational memory is not forgetful.. This paper explores the role of organizational and individual forgetting. I posit that forgetting allows coping in an information-rich world and may be the most important process to design into OMSs to provide adequate support to managers and the organization.

nowadays knowledge and technology have become more important in organizations. sometimes the organizations forget their knowledge and skills unconsciously due to information inconsistencies and sometimes they forget their knowledge and skills consciously to become more agile. some aspects of forgetting are useful while the other aspects are harmful. moreover information technology has made a ba...

This paper produces new estimates of the rate of organizational forgetting in the well-known case study of US wartime ship production. Estimates obtained using data constructed from primary sources at the National Archives yield rates of forgetting that are much smaller than previously reported, and may well be zero. The richness of the data make it possible to control for variations in the pro...

The sum of experience and capabilities of individual members of an organization is an important factor that defines the experience and the capabilities of the organization, influencing directly its performance and efficiency (Grusky 1961; Shaw 1981). The degree of organizational learning defines the ability of the organization to transform the experience and the capabilities of individuals into...