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Ignorantics: The Theory, Research, and Practice of Ignorance in Organizational Survival and Prosperity

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  • Rouxelle De Villiers

    (Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand)

Abstract

This study responds to the call by some scholars to establish a framework for ignorance. It challenges the myth that ignorance is all bad and an utterly undesirable state in organizations and proposes a new framework for the application of ignorance analytics in organizations. It includes a taxonomy of deliberate and unconscious ignorance in decision-making and judgment as well as the drivers of personal and corporate deliberate ignorance and their behavioral implications. Ignorance plays a substantial role in competency development, scientific progress, innovation, and organizational strategic advantage. The proposed framework can help developers of talent, including management trainers, educators, and HR practitioners, to recognize the drivers of willful ignorance and help managers design effective interventions to move employees from unconscious incompetence to mastery. This paper suggests an agenda and identifies opportunities for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Rouxelle De Villiers, 2025. "Ignorantics: The Theory, Research, and Practice of Ignorance in Organizational Survival and Prosperity," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:7:p:259-:d:1695349
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James G. March, 1991. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 71-87, February.
    2. Flyvbjerg, Bent, 2016. "The Fallacy of Beneficial Ignorance: A Test of Hirschman’s Hiding Hand," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 176-189.
    3. Nicholas Clarke & Malcolm Higgs & Thomas Garavan, 2025. "Legitimating Organizational Secrecy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 197(1), pages 19-38, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shahid Mehmood & Tuba Ghani & Laraib Naseer & Tariq Mehmood, 2026. "Unlocking innovation: the role of self-sacrificial leadership in bridging knowledge behaviors and AI-driven job satisfaction," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.

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