Ignorance and Organization Studies

Abstract

The article discusses ignorance and organization studies, both as a topic of study and a basic problem of organization theory understood as design theory. How should we regard knowledge not yet known? Is the development of knowledge a straightforward illumination of a defined box, or does knowledge also have a dark side, growing even faster than the illuminated side? In this article, we propose that more extended research into ignorance in organization studies is needed. And since ignorance is a product of inattention, we draw on Herbert Simon’s investigation into the science of the artificial. Among the topics we explore are unpredictable environments, the interface between inner and outer environments, vagueness and unspecified ignorance.