Organizational Memory Studies. Issue 12 (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Foroughi, Hamid; Coraiola, Diego M.; Rintamäki, Jukka; Mena, Sébastien; Foster, William M.
• Other Names: Kolb Darl guest-editor.; Huysman Marleen guest-editor.; Dery Kristine guest-editor.; Metiu Anca guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Organization studies. Volume 41:Issue 12(2020)
• Page Start: 1725
• Page End: 1748
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: memory -- collective memory -- forgetting -- historical organization studies -- mnemonics -- remembering -- rhetorical history -- social memory -- literature review -- organizational learning; Organizational sociology -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Organization -- Periodicals; 302.35
• DOI: 10.1177/0170840620974338
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0170-8406

Abstract

This paper provides an overview and discussion of the rapidly growing literature on organizational memory studies (OMS). We define OMS as an inquiry into the ways that remembering and forgetting shape, and are shaped by, organizations and organizing processes. The contribution of this article is threefold. We briefly review what we understand by organizational memory and explore some key debates and points of contestation in the field. Second, we identify four different perspectives that have been developed in OMS (functional, interpretive, critical and performative) and expand upon each perspective by showcasing articles published over the past decade. In particular, we examine four papers previously published in Organization Studies to show the distinctiveness of each perspective. Finally, we identify a number of areas for future research to facilitate the future development of OMS.