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Dynamics of wilful ignorance in organizations

Alvesson, Mats LU ; Einola, Katja and Schaefer, Stephan LU (2022) In British Journal of Sociology 73(4). p.839-858
Abstract
Contemporary society is obsessed with knowledge, leaving its less seductive counterpart, ignorance, in the shadows. However, as an expanding literature suggests, it is equally important to understand ignorance and consider its varieties. This study specifies the nature of wilful ignorance in organizations. It does so by (a) making a distinction between the will of an actor and the epistemic properties of ignorance, and showing how these two form a dynamic relationship, (b) linking wilful ignorance to its various drivers and (c) suggesting how our concept of wilful ignorance can be used in the study of organizations. Rather than reducing the phenomenon into a simple to know/to ignore dichotomy, we concentrate on its processual and dynamic... (More)
Contemporary society is obsessed with knowledge, leaving its less seductive counterpart, ignorance, in the shadows. However, as an expanding literature suggests, it is equally important to understand ignorance and consider its varieties. This study specifies the nature of wilful ignorance in organizations. It does so by (a) making a distinction between the will of an actor and the epistemic properties of ignorance, and showing how these two form a dynamic relationship, (b) linking wilful ignorance to its various drivers and (c) suggesting how our concept of wilful ignorance can be used in the study of organizations. Rather than reducing the phenomenon into a simple to know/to ignore dichotomy, we concentrate on its processual and dynamic nature. Moreover, we explore the complexities and ambiguity inherently involved in all knowing and ignoring as well as the role of agency in reducing the harmful effects of wilful ignorance in organizations. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ignorance, knowledge, organizational dynamics, organizational processes, wilful ignorance
in
British Journal of Sociology
volume
73
issue
4
pages
839 - 858
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:35929577
  • scopus:85135390820
ISSN
0007-1315
DOI
10.1111/1468-4446.12963
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
99cda256-3d32-498c-9e7e-8eb676ff7ed1
date added to LUP
2022-08-17 10:15:11
date last changed
2024-01-15 23:34:42
@article{99cda256-3d32-498c-9e7e-8eb676ff7ed1,
  abstract     = {{Contemporary society is obsessed with knowledge, leaving its less seductive counterpart, ignorance, in the shadows. However, as an expanding literature suggests, it is equally important to understand ignorance and consider its varieties. This study specifies the nature of wilful ignorance in organizations. It does so by (a) making a distinction between the will of an actor and the epistemic properties of ignorance, and showing how these two form a dynamic relationship, (b) linking wilful ignorance to its various drivers and (c) suggesting how our concept of wilful ignorance can be used in the study of organizations. Rather than reducing the phenomenon into a simple to know/to ignore dichotomy, we concentrate on its processual and dynamic nature. Moreover, we explore the complexities and ambiguity inherently involved in all knowing and ignoring as well as the role of agency in reducing the harmful effects of wilful ignorance in organizations.}},
  author       = {{Alvesson, Mats and Einola, Katja and Schaefer, Stephan}},
  issn         = {{0007-1315}},
  keywords     = {{ignorance; knowledge; organizational dynamics; organizational processes; wilful ignorance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{839--858}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Sociology}},
  title        = {{Dynamics of wilful ignorance in organizations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12963}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/1468-4446.12963}},
  volume       = {{73}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}