Individual and organisational unlearning : directions for future research

Within the literature, unlearning as distinct from learning, at both the individual and organisational level, is receiving increased attention. This paper explores unlearning in terms of its relationship to the existing literature on types of knowledge, how unlearning is suggested to occur within different levels of knowledge, and finally the link to individual and organisational learning. This analysis and synthesis of the literature in the areas of adult learning, organisational learning and management of knowledge is utilised to develop a model of unlearning. Given the lack of empirical research in this area, this model provides a framework to be used as the basis of future research of unlearning.