Organizational routine breach response and knowledge management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose the organizational knowledge effects of organization routine breach response. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the routines and knowledge management literatures and applies them to the concept of organizational routine breach. Findings – It is found that three types of organizational routine breach response affect the explicit and tacit knowledge contained within routines differently. These differences can influence organizational performance in positive and negative ways. Research limitations/implications – Future research can be based on an enhanced understanding of the knowledge effects stemming from breaches in organizational routines. Practical implications – Managers can use an enhanced understanding of the knowledge effects of organizational routine breach to increase their ability to manage organizational routines and the knowledge contained in them. Originality/value – This paper links the organizational routines literature with the knowledge management literature to identify the effects of various responses to organization routine breach on organizational knowledge. This integration enables researchers and managers to better understand the implications of routine breach on organizational knowledge and performance.