The impact of unlearning context on organizational performance through knowledge management: A case of community sport clubs in Iran

ABSTRACT

The authors examined the effect of unlearning context on organizational performance of community sport clubs (CSCs) via knowledge management. The board of directors of CSCs in Iran were invited to participate in this study. The research employed the multidimensional constructs of unlearning context, knowledge management, and organizational performance. The findings indicated that unlearning context had positive effects on knowledge management and organizational performance. Knowledge management played a role of partial mediator in the relationship between unlearning context and organizational performance. Non-profit sport organizations need to take advantage of promoting unlearning context to facilitate acquisition, creation, sharing, storage, and application of new knowledge among members, which in turn, could help them perform better. The study provides both theoretical and managerial implications that promote sport clubs to apply unlearning context and knowledge management processes to increase both financial and non-financial aspects of their organizational performance.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The role of unlearning context on knowledge management in community sport clubs is examined.

• We investigate how individual unlearning impacts community sport clubs’ performance.

• This study highlights the need to create an unlearning context in non-profit sport organizations.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge management
• Unlearning
• Performance