When past and present collide: The consequences of conflict between imprinted memory and contemporary experience

Peter Bryant, Nathalie Lazaric and Moustapha Niang ()
Additional contact information
Peter Bryant: IE Business School - IE Business School - IE Business School
Moustapha Niang: GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: Studies demonstrate that the founding conditions of organizations are imprinted, for example, as features of organizational structure, culture, relational networks, and within organizational routines. Yet much remains unknown about the psychological mechanisms of initial imprinting and subsequent transmission. In this study, we investigate the role of collective memorization in the imprinting process, and in particular the role of transactive autobiographical memory. Through a case study of a large organization, we show that the organization developed a transactive autobiographical memory system focusing on life as a technical expert. This collective memory became imprinted, having deep implications for collective identity, cultural values, relational bonds, shared goals and motivations. We then illuminate the problems that arise when imprinted memory systems come into conflict with more dynamic organizational demands. We thus propose an explanation for how and why imprinted effects can reduce an organization's capacity to learn and adapt.

Keywords: Cognitive Schema; Scripts; Mental Models/Maps Individual Learning; Organizational Learning; Organizational identity; Qualitative Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-07-04
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in Academy of Management Annual Conference, Jul 2012, Boston, United States

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00908420

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().