Organizational unlearning, knowledge search and green innovation

Abstract

Abstract: China is advancing the establishment of economic system for green development and building market-oriented green technological innovation system. Green economy and green innovation are main theme of China′s economy and business development in the future. Because innovation is path dependence, companies usually follow past successful paths to seek innovation. However, dynamically changing external environment may make past successful experience and knowledge become obstacles to enterprises′ innovation. Only by forgetting outdated experience and knowledge can the enterprises realize continuous innovation.
Organizational unlearning promoting innovation attracts widespread attention, but few researches study relationship between organizational unlearning and green innovation. There are few scholars analyzing function of knowledge search between organizational unlearning and green innovation. The paper divides knowledge search into breadth knowledge search and depth knowledge search. Through the questionnaire survey of 211 enterprises and hierarchical regression analysis, the research studies relationship among organizational unlearning, knowledge search and green innovation. The results showed as follows. Firstly, organizational unlearning has positive impact on green innovation, breadth knowledge search and depth knowledge search. Secondly, breadth knowledge search and depth knowledge search have positive impact on green innovation. Thirdly, breadth knowledge search and depth knowledge search play fully mediating effect between organizational unlearning and green innovation. Lastly, the mediating effect of depth knowledge search between organizational unlearning and green innovation is higher than breadth knowledge search.
The theoretical contributions are as follows. Firstly, only companies actively implement green innovation can they realize green innovation sustainably. This paper can enrich the research about impact of internal factors on green innovation, and it provides new ideas for exploring internal driving force of enterprises′ green innovation. Secondly, green innovation is guarantee for sustainable development of China′s economy. This article studies relationship among organizational unlearning, knowledge search and green innovation. It can enrich the research on organizational unlearning. Thirdly, the paper verifies that breadth knowledge search and depth knowledge search play fully mediating effect between organizational unlearning and green innovation. It not only provides path guidance for enterprises carrying out knowledge search but also enriches knowledge search theory. Lastly, this research verifies that breadth knowledge search and depth knowledge search are important paths for organizational unlearning promoting enterprises′ green innovation. And it reveals the influence mechanism of organizational unlearning on green innovation.
This research provides references for enterprises′ green innovation. Firstly, companies need to forget outdated knowledge to reduce barriers of green innovation. Then enterprises can create favorable conditions for green innovation. Secondly, only adopting organizational unlearning cannot promote green innovation effectively, enterprises should continue to search knowledge so that they can enrich knowledge base of green innovation. Lastly, in the process of knowledge search, companies should not only explore new knowledge but also exploit existing knowledge so as to promote green innovation.

Key words: organizational unlearning, green innovation, breadth knowledge search, depth knowledge search

Zhu Xuechun, Zhang Wei. Organizational unlearning, knowledge search and green innovation[J]. Science Research Management, 2021, 42(5): 218-224.

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