Managing with ignorance

Ignorance has been maligned through the ages, at least since Socrates’ claim that there is “one only good, namely, knowledge; and one only evil, namely, ignorance”. Seen from the oppositional perspective, ignorance cannot be a driver of behaviour in its own right; it is only the absence of behaviour. Collective ignorance acts to avoid conflict, or to protect beliefs that would otherwise be untenable. As a driver of behaviour, ignorance can be seen to have a positive effect in business. The predisposition to avoiding association with ignorance is a powerful driver of action, and many managers will resist association with the term in order to avoid accepting the negative value judgement that comes with it. Nevertheless, the benefits for managers who take the risk are considerable. By shifting the focus from the motivations of ignorance to the outcomes of ignorance, managers are freed from the yoke of knowledge, and can engage in productive discussions about what they do not know.

Epistemology · Ignorance · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Ethics in Business and Education · Management and Organizational Studies · Philosophy

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