Recent findings on organizational unlearning and intentional forgetting research (2019–2022)

This mini review aims at summarizing the current state-of-the-art of empirical unlearning and intentional forgetting (U/IF) research at the individual, team, and organizational level. It adds to an earlier review and incorporates 31 recent studies from 2019 to 2022. The review reveals that predictors based on the organization’s adaptation context (e.g., competitive intensity), organization level (e.g., leadership exploration activities), individual task-related (e.g., features of the routines changed), and person-related level (e.g., cognitive control strategies) variables relate to process variables, such as the type of U/IF, the U/IF content (e.g., success beliefs or failure beliefs), and information processing variables (e.g., team information processing). The outcome variables are at the organizational level (e.g., cross-boundary innovation), team level performance level, the individual task performance level (e.g., errors), and person-related level (e.g., self-esteem). The analyzed studies at the team and organizational levels preferred cross-sectional study designs or in-depth qualitative methods, which severely limits the possibility of making causal statements. In contrast, at the individual-level studies use longitudinal designs as well to make temporal aspects of U/IF visible. But these individual level results are limited in terms of their generalizability to other levels. Even though all studies make valuable contribution to the understanding of antecedents and outcomes of U/IF, the temporal and process-related aspects of how U/IF unfolds at the different levels and subsequent options for its deliberate facilitation remain empirically little elaborated. It is proposed that in addition to studying the antecedents and consequences of U/IF in cross sectional designs, the topic needs more longitudinal designs to capture the nature of the U/IF processes in organizations

Retentivity beats prior knowledge as predictor for the acquisition and adaptation of new production processes

In the time of digitalization the demand for organizational change is rising and demands ways to cope with fundamental changes on the organizational as well as individual level. As a basis, learning and forgetting mechanisms need to be understood in order to guide a change process efficiently and successfully. Our research aims to get a better understanding of individual differences and mechanisms in the change context by performing an experiment where individuals learn and later re-learn a complex production process using a simulation setting. The individual’s performance, as well as retentivity and prior knowledge is assessed. Our results show that higher retentivity goes along with better learning and forgetting performances. Prior knowledge did not reveal such relation to the learning and forgetting performances. The influence of age and gender is discussed in detail

The Training Evaluation Inventory (TEI) - Evaluation of Training Design and Measurement of Training Outcomes for Predicting Training Success

Training evaluation in research and organisational contexts is vital to ensure informed decisions regarding the value of training. The present study describes the development of a valid and reliable training evaluation inventory (TEI), as it does not exist so far. The objectives were a) to construct an instrument that is theoretically and empirically founded, but at the same time applicable within typical organisational constraints, and b) to include the assessment and perception of training design as a formative evaluation aspect. Based on previous research, ten scales were constructed, covering the training outcome dimensions subjective enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived difficulty, subjective knowledge gain, and attitude towards training, as well as the training design dimensions problem-based learning, activation, demonstration, application, and integration. Reliabilities of the scales were satisfactory. Data from two training studies show that the training outcome dimensions were related to external training outcome measures, underlining the validity of the TEI. Two survey samples were used to predict training outcomes based on training design. Demonstration, application, and integration emerged as the most important design dimensions. The TEI is applicable in both training research projects and in organisational contexts. It can be used for formative and summative training evaluation purposes

Human Behavior in the Context of Continuous Change - An Exploratory Analysis in a Research and Application Center Industry 4.0

The modern world of work is characterized by discontinuity and innovation. Organizations must adapt to continuous change, which makes it crucial to manage organizational knowledge. Learning and forgetting processes are necessary to react successfully to the changes. On the individual level, this means that individuals have to adapt their behavior, which is often well-learned and routinized. This study aims to take a first step toward a more detailed understanding of human behavior in the context of continuous change. For this purpose, an exploratory analysis was conducted on data collected in a Research and Application Center Industry 4.0. The participants had to deal with the continuous change of routine actions in a simulated production environment, which enabled us to measure their adaptation errors. The occurrence of adaptation errors, their dependency on the type of change, and the behavioral patterns are discussed in detail. Implications for further research are derived

The GTPase ARFRP1 controls the lipidation of chylomicrons in the Golgi of the intestinal epithelium

The uptake and processing of dietary lipids by the small intestine is a multistep process that involves several steps including vesicular and protein transport. The GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor-related protein 1 (ARFRP1) controls the ARF-like 1 (ARL1)-mediated Golgi recruitment of GRIP domain proteins which in turn bind several Rab-GTPases. Here, we describe the essential role of ARFRP1 and its interaction with Rab2 in the assembly and lipidation of chylomicrons in the intestinal epithelium. Mice lacking Arfrp1 specifically in the intestine (Arfrp1vil−/−) exhibit an early post-natal growth retardation with reduced plasma triacylglycerol and free fatty acid concentrations. Arfrp1vil−/− enterocytes as well as Arfrp1 mRNA depleted Caco-2 cells absorbed fatty acids normally but secreted chylomicrons with a markedly reduced triacylglycerol content. In addition, the release of apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) was dramatically decreased, and ApoA-I accumulated in the Arfrp1vil−/− epithelium, where it predominantly co-localized with Rab2. The release of chylomicrons from Caco-2 was markedly reduced after the suppression of Rab2, ARL1 and Golgin-245. Thus, the GTPase ARFRP1 and its downstream proteins are required for the lipidation of chylo­microns and the assembly of ApoA-I to these particles in the Golgi of intestinal epithelial cells

Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting alter hepatic lipid droplet proteome and diacylglycerol species and prevent diabetes in NZO mice

AbstractCaloric restriction and intermittent fasting are known to improve glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance in several species including humans. The aim of this study was to unravel potential mechanisms by which these interventions improve insulin sensitivity and protect from type 2 diabetes. Diabetes-susceptible New Zealand Obese mice were either 10% calorie restricted (CR) or fasted every other day (IF), and compared to ad libitum (AL) fed control mice. AL mice showed a diabetes prevalence of 43%, whereas mice under CR and IF were completely protected against hyperglycemia. Proteomic analysis of hepatic lipid droplets revealed significantly higher levels of PSMD9 (co-activator Bridge-1), MIF (macrophage migration inhibitor factor), TCEB2 (transcription elongation factor B (SIII), polypeptide 2), ACY1 (aminoacylase 1) and FABP5 (fatty acid binding protein 5), and a marked reduction of GSTA3 (glutathione S-transferase alpha 3) in samples of CR and IF mice. In addition, accumulation of diacylglycerols (DAGs) was significantly reduced in livers of IF mice (P=0.045) while CR mice showed a similar tendency (P=0.062). In particular, 9 DAG species were significantly reduced in response to IF, of which DAG-40:4 and DAG-40:7 also showed significant effects after CR. This was associated with a decreased PKCε activation and might explain the improved insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, our data indicate that protection against diabetes upon caloric restriction and intermittent fasting associates with a modulation of lipid droplet protein composition and reduction of intracellular DAG species