WhenNot Knowingis a Virtue: A Business Ethics Perspective
Joanna Crossman, Vijayta Doshi
Journal of Business Ethics · 2015 · Volume 131 · Issue 1
DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2267-8
Abstract
How leaders and managers respond tonot knowingis highly relevant given the complex, ambiguous, and chaotic business environment of the twenty-first century. Drawing on the literature from a variety of disciplines, the paper explores the dominant, unfavorable conceptualization ofnot knowing. The authors present some potential ethical implications of a negative view ofnot knowingand suggest how organizations would benefit from identifying any unhelpful aspects of the culture that may encourage unethical, undesirable, and/or hasty actions in situations ofnot knowing.The paper specifically illustrates how patience, courage, honesty, integrity, and humility are integral to negative capability in the contexts ofnot knowing. Finally, the paper calls for deeper inquiry into the role of virtue ethics in preparing managers and leaders fornot knowingand urges organizations to embrace negative capability innot knowingrather than engaging in damaging delusion.
Keywords
Not knowing, Virtue ethics, Negative capability, Knowing
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