ABSTRACT

Looking through contributions, one might almost observe that the obviation of uncertainty is an increasing obsession of the human race; yet, uncertainty itself, which appears to be an abundant feature of our creative landscape, is scarcely addressed explicitly in our recipes, prescriptions and bodies of knowledge. Knowing and admitting uncertainty implies recognition of the features and distinctions of such a state. Moreover, the emergence of new writing focused on unlikely occurrences, ‘black swan events’, fragility and general preparedness for addressing and mitigating the impact of the unknown merits a reconsideration of some of the more established but often neglected sources in risk and uncertainty. The presence or absence of uncertainty plays a crucial part in shaping the processes and structures employed in the pursuit of action. In the absence of uncertainty, organisations can pursue mechanistic structures focused on efficient execution, utilising a machine metaphor concerned with fine-tuning and improved efficiency.