Getting More out of Organizational Memory: Comparative Comments and Output Medium

Abstract

Organizational Memories are the means by which organizations remember. With human memory as an analogy, organizational memories represent 1) the long-term memory of organizations from which we wish to extract accurately the information, and 2) economizing ways to store information about the organization. The study reported here emulates a typical group project scenario to explore two fundamental questions surrounding the use of organizational memories. The study tests to see if one type of complementary information -comparative comments - can influence the accuracy of information retrieved from an organizational memory. In addition, it explores whether or not the output medium influences the information obtained from an organizational memory. Ultimately, high levels of comparative comments more accurately transmitted information while no significant influence was found between an electronic or print medium.