Why do defensive routines persist in organizational contexts? Results from a two‐year ethnographic action research

Literature offers valuable insight into defensive routines, which are acknowledged by academics as barriers to organizational learning and innovation. Nevertheless, we find that there is a lack of attention in examining why defensive routines are persistent in organizational life. To fill this gap, we conduct a two-year ethnographic action research in an Italian company. Based on an in-depth analysis of the fundamental concepts of defensive routines and on data collected mainly by direct observations, interviews, and workshops, we propose a categorization with three types of defensive routines: blaming external forces, evading [authentic] dialogue, and avoiding confrontation. Drawing on an evolutionary perspective, we provide a framework that illustrates the mechanisms that explain the emergence and persistence of defensive routines and propose feasible ideas for interrupting the emotion-deliberation interaction dynamics that reinforce such routines. We intend to offer a pragmatic framework to better address defensive routines, as they perpetuate the status quo and block individuals' ability to generate double-loop learning, which is the type of learning that enables organizations to be innovative.