Unlearning in Quality Management and Organizational Improvement: A Systematic Literature Review and Taxonomy Proposal

Abstract

Organizational unlearning the deliberate process of discarding obsolete knowledge, routines, and assumptions has emerged as a critical yet underexplored dimension of quality management and continuous improvement. While the quality management literature extensively addresses learning mechanisms through frameworks such as Total Quality Management (TQM), ISO standards, and continuous improvement methodologies, the strategic necessity of unlearning outdated practices remains insufficiently theorized. This systematic literature review examines the intersection of unlearning and quality management across 87 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2025. Through thematic analysis and conceptual synthesis, we develop a comprehensive taxonomy that categorizes unlearning processes along five dimensions: triggers (crisis, technological disruption, cultural shift), levels (individual, team, organizational), mechanisms (forgetting, replacement, reframing), outcomes (quality performance, innovation capacity), and contexts (TQM implementation, ISO certification, digital transformation). Our findings reveal that unlearning plays a pivotal role in overcoming organizational inertia, enabling quality system adaptations, and fostering innovation within quality cultures. However, significant gaps exist regarding measurement approaches, the relationship between unlearning and sustained quality performance, and contextual factors moderating unlearning effectiveness. We propose a research agenda addressing these gaps and discuss practical implications for quality managers navigating increasingly volatile business environments. This taxonomy provides researchers and practitioners with a structured framework for understanding, implementing, and studying unlearning as a strategic quality management capability.