Digital transformation through organisational unlearning: insights from practitioners’ voice

ABSTRACT

This article explores the concept of unlearning in the realm of Digital Transformation (DT), identifying it as a crucial underpinning for effective adaptation and change. The research adopts the engaged scholarship framework, utilizing deductive qualitative analysis to discern patterns and themes related to unlearning in the context of DT. Through semi-structured interviews with practitioners, this study probes the emergence of unlearning in the tide of DT and the specific practices employed to navigate this transition. The findings reveal that entrenched path dependencies often inhibit organizational DT, underscoring the need for unlearning as a strategic response. By listening to the practitioners’ narratives, the research illuminates how the pivotal role of unlearning seems to emerge in the face of DT. The main implications of this study suggest that organizations should embrace unlearning to disrupt ingrained habits and assumptions, thereby enabling a more agile and responsive posture.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital transformation
• organisational unlearning
• organisational change

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Samuele Maccioni, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.