Strategic Ignorance: The Paradigm of Unveiling the Hidden Motives Behind Managerial Blind Spots

Abstract The prevailing idea is that decision makers tend to have access to information as much as possible and consider all information related to a subject for their decisions. However, the evidence shows that sometimes managers deliberately ignore some information. It is a kind of conscious ignorance that empowers managers to decide and act in the way they think is right. This behavioural strategy is called “strategic ignorance”. The aim of this study is to investigate the reasons why strategic ignorance is used by managers in SMEs across various industries. To achieve this goal, we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 managers. The results turn our attention to a hidden reality behind the logical behaviours of managers, and that is the human desire to use “conscious ignorance”. This study confirms that “strategic ignorance” is a deliberate attempt to prevent the organizations flow of knowledge or information. This phenomenon is influenced by the systematic, environmental, and cognitive stimuli of ignorance and the indicators of the information itself. Our research could help organizations develop more effective strategies for preventing and mitigating strategic ignorance. By understanding the underlying motivations and mechanisms of “Strategic ignorance”, organizations could implement interventions to promote more informed decision-making practices.