Explaining Ignoring – Working with Information that Nobody Uses
(2022) In Organization Studies 43(5). p.725-747- Abstract
Research has demonstrated how ignorance is made, manipulated and called upon; how it is the result of strategies, activities and structures. This article extends the literature on ignorance by exploring actors’ own explanations of their self-inflicted ignorance following acts of ignoring. By means of a case analysis, we explore how actors explain and justify ignoring data they themselves produced. We provide a multifaceted model of how ignoring actors’ own rationales, facilitated by contextual conditions, enables persistent acts of ignoring the content and dysfunction of collectively upheld systems. We contribute to the understanding of ignorance by demonstrating how self-inflicted ignorance is made possible by the combination of... (More)
Research has demonstrated how ignorance is made, manipulated and called upon; how it is the result of strategies, activities and structures. This article extends the literature on ignorance by exploring actors’ own explanations of their self-inflicted ignorance following acts of ignoring. By means of a case analysis, we explore how actors explain and justify ignoring data they themselves produced. We provide a multifaceted model of how ignoring actors’ own rationales, facilitated by contextual conditions, enables persistent acts of ignoring the content and dysfunction of collectively upheld systems. We contribute to the understanding of ignorance by demonstrating how self-inflicted ignorance is made possible by the combination of ignoring rationales and their facilitators, which configures buffers against knowledge-seeking efforts.
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- author
- Essén, Anna ; Knudsen, Morten and Alvesson, Mats LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- division of labour, functional stupidity, healthcare, image, information management, knowledge management, professionalism, strategic ignorance, wilful ignorance
- in
- Organization Studies
- volume
- 43
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 725 - 747
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85103212602
- ISSN
- 0170-8406
- DOI
- 10.1177/0170840621998720
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 78c9cd7a-267c-4bf0-8ffe-371709c12629
- date added to LUP
- 2021-04-08 14:29:35
- date last changed
- 2022-06-30 10:52:17
@article{78c9cd7a-267c-4bf0-8ffe-371709c12629,
abstract = {{<p>Research has demonstrated how ignorance is made, manipulated and called upon; how it is the result of strategies, activities and structures. This article extends the literature on ignorance by exploring actors’ own explanations of their self-inflicted ignorance following acts of ignoring. By means of a case analysis, we explore how actors explain and justify ignoring data they themselves produced. We provide a multifaceted model of how ignoring actors’ own rationales, facilitated by contextual conditions, enables persistent acts of ignoring the content and dysfunction of collectively upheld systems. We contribute to the understanding of ignorance by demonstrating how self-inflicted ignorance is made possible by the combination of ignoring rationales and their facilitators, which configures buffers against knowledge-seeking efforts.</p>}},
author = {{Essén, Anna and Knudsen, Morten and Alvesson, Mats}},
issn = {{0170-8406}},
keywords = {{division of labour; functional stupidity; healthcare; image; information management; knowledge management; professionalism; strategic ignorance; wilful ignorance}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{725--747}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Organization Studies}},
title = {{Explaining Ignoring – Working with Information that Nobody Uses}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0170840621998720}},
doi = {{10.1177/0170840621998720}},
volume = {{43}},
year = {{2022}},
}