許多研究指出過去的經驗可能會限制組織學習，這就會導致組織變的脆弱，而去蕪學習(忘卻學習)能夠防止組織僵固，使組織能夠持續的獲得競爭優勢。然而有關去蕪學習的文獻，大多都侷限在理論探討或質性研究上，鮮少有實證的分析。因此本研究想補足在此方面研究之不足。 本研究以一些文獻作為基礎，將去蕪學習定義為組織淘汰既有的知識或習性，並且在營運上以改變觀點和程序來呈現。接著探討在新產品發展過程中，去蕪學習的重要性，尤其著重於當團隊觀點或程序改變時，對知識應用與新產品發展上的影響。 為了驗證去蕪學習與新產品發展績效的關係，係以中華徵信所「TOP5000傑出企業獎章」中109個製造業廠商為研究對象。研究結果顯示(1)團隊市場觀點改變或程序改變的程度，與知識應用的能力有相關性，並間接對新產品發展績效造成影響；(2)不同的去蕪學習對於知識應用的影響也不一樣；(3)去蕪學習和知識應用之間的關係會受到長期導向和資訊科技普及性的干擾。 具體而言，鼓勵組織成員改變市場觀點或組織程序，就更容易減少產品上市時產生的問題，新產品也就能更成功的發展和上市。更進一步發現，市場觀點改變的重要性大於組織程序的改變，因此企業應優先鼓勵員工重新檢視對市場的觀點，若有必要就必須捨棄原本的看法，重新了解顧客真正的需求。研究結果也指出，市場觀點的改變需要輔以組織在研發上長期的投資，以提高成員應用新知識的意願；組織若鼓勵員工多使用資訊科技，即使組織程序的改變程度很低也能夠有效的解決產品問題。 本研究提出去蕪學習能有效增加知識的應用，因此管理者可以藉由鼓勵組織成員改變對市場的觀點或以彈性的程序來管理，就能改善新產品發展績效。然而管理者鼓勵組織去蕪學習的同時，更要小心謹慎。因為沒有經過評估或考慮就捨棄既有的觀點和程序，有可能會造成知識的流失。 Many studies indicated that the experience of the past may be limited organizational learning, and lead to organization become weak. Unlearning prevents organizations fixed, so that competitive advantage can be sustained. However, the literatures about unlearning are mostly confined in the qualitative research, there has been little in empirical analysis. Therefore this study completes the research in this area. In this study, unlearning is defined as an organization eliminated the existing knowledge or habits, as change in team beliefs and organizational routines. This research treats the important of unlearning in new product development (NPD) process. The results show that (a) changing team’s market beliefs or organizational routines correlates with knowledge application, and correlate indirectly with NPD performance; (2) the effects of different unlearning on knowledge application are not the same; (3) long-term orientation and information technologies moderate the relationship between unlearning and knowledge application. If the organization encourages members to change team’s market beliefs or organizational routines, it will reduce problems of new product, and new products can be developed and launched successfully. We found that changing team’s market beliefs is more important than changing organizational routines, so firms should focus on re-scanning the market perspective, and if necessary we must abandon the original view, re-learn the real needs of customers. The results also pointed that high level of changing team’s market beliefs must be assisted by long-term orientation. Otherwise, the firm that has low level of changing organizational routines should enhance using flexible procedures for the management or encourage employees to use IT. This study proposes that unlearning can effectively increase the level of knowledge application. That managers should encourage members changing team’s market beliefs or organizational routines will improve NPD performance. However, managers should be careful of unlearning, because changing team’s market beliefs or organizational routines without evaluation may lead to loss knowledge.
