Business performance management and unlearning process

The process of unlearning can serve as a basis for removing old knowledge structures. Unlearning makes it possible for new knowledge to be accepted, and for old structures to be changed or removed. However, since organizations have difficulties in changing when in fact they are successful, the transition from unlearning to learning is especially difficult, since success tends to preserve existing knowledge structures and behaviours, and organizations fritter away their resources in internal power struggles, instead of using them to bring about fundamental changes in behaviour. The aims of this research are, firstly, to introduce a theoretical argument with respect to unlearning; secondly, an unlearning process is explained as the key to broadening knowledge. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.