Knowledge obsolescence and loss in firms

In today's world, the accelerating pace of technological advances, rapidly changing consumer expectations and changes in the regulatory environment have given rise to a phenomenon that is both impacting and stimulating: obsolescence.

In its broadest definition, obsolescence refers to the process by which an entity - be it a product, service, technology or knowledge - loses its use value over time. Obsolescence can occur for a wide variety of reasons, including technological advances, changing fashions and evolving standards. Although obsolescence is generally associated with the context of manufactured products, a sector in which companies have developed various management strategies, it also impacts knowledge and skills: a law or a theory can also become obsolete. This aspect of obsolescence, however, is less visible or less felt, and little discussed. This article explores it.

Knowledge obsolescence refers to the process by which knowledge loses its relevance or usefulness. In an ever-changing society, new knowledge is constantly being generated in quantity, contradicting or supplanting previous knowledge. Innovations in science and technology, new methodologies, regulatory updates and changes in market dynamics are all factors that can render knowledge obsolete or outdated. Knowledge or theory can also be disproved or proven wrong over time. In organizations, this phenomenon is of particular concern, as knowledge is the backbone of strategy, decision-making and innovation.

Often equated with, but distinct from, knowledge obsolescence, corporate knowledge loss is a phenomenon that also has a strong impact on an organization. It occurs when knowledge is permanently lost, often due to factors inherent to an organization; for example, the departure of skilled employees, poor knowledge management practices or organizational changes can lead to a loss of corporate memory. Knowledge loss therefore relates to the availability of knowledge, while knowledge obsolescence concerns the relevance, use value and veracity of knowledge over time. Being able to distinguish and understand the mechanisms inherent in these phenomena (how they appear and why) is crucial for organizations, as they both impact an organization's ability to make decisions and follow an effective growth strategy.

The aim of this article is to present the phenomena of obsolescence and knowledge loss, to distinguish between them and to identify their causes.

The first section presents the phenomenon of obsolescence in general, identifies the entities that are sensitive to it and proposes a characterization of the phenomenon. In particular, this section emphasizes that obsolescence can have an impact on "concrete" entities (products)...