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On serendipity and organizing

Author

Listed:
  • Cunha, Miguel Pina e
  • Clegg, Stewart R.
  • Mendonça, Sandro

Abstract

Summary Serendipity means the accidental discovery of something valuable. While it is sometimes presented as an element of organizational learning, it has rarely been addressed per se by organizational scholars. We discuss and elaborate the processes associated with serendipity in the organizational context. At its core, serendipity is a process of metaphorical association - seeing something in another thing. New ways of seeing may provide the necessary ingredients for creativity and exploratory learning, which will counter organizational tendencies towards inertia and the ossification of dominant mindsets and practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Cunha, Miguel Pina e & Clegg, Stewart R. & Mendonça, Sandro, 2010. "On serendipity and organizing," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 319-330, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eurman:v:28:y:2010:i:5:p:319-330
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Wareham, Jonathan & Pujol Priego, Laia & Romasanta, Angelo Kenneth & Mathiassen, Thomas Wareham & Nordberg, Markus & Tello, Pablo Garcia, 2022. "Systematizing serendipity for big science infrastructures: The ATTRACT project," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    2. Pina e Cunha, Miguel & Rego, Arménio & Clegg, Stewart & Lindsay, Greg, 2015. "The dialectics of serendipity," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 9-18.
    3. Giustiniano, Luca & Cunha, Miguel Pina e & Clegg, Stewart, 2016. "Organizational zemblanity," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 7-21.
    4. Ohid Yaqub, 2016. "Serendipity: Towards a taxonomy and a theory," SPRU Working Paper Series 2016-17, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    5. Hsi-Peng Lu & Yi-Hsiu Cheng, 2020. "Sustainability in Online Video Hosting Services: The Effects of Serendipity and Flow Experience on Prolonged Usage Time," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, February.
    6. Umair Akram & Peng Hui & Muhammad Kaleem Khan & Chen Yan & Zubair Akram, 2018. "Factors Affecting Online Impulse Buying: Evidence from Chinese Social Commerce Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-28, January.
    7. Fultz, Andrew E.F. & Hmieleski, Keith M., 2021. "The art of discovering and exploiting unexpected opportunities: The roles of organizational improvisation and serendipity in new venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    8. Kosuke Kato & Shin Ito & Kazuhiko Itaya, 2019. "Can Accidental Discoveries be Managed? Exploring Key Factors Impacting Idea Generation in R&D Sites in Japan," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(06), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Mario Daniele Amore & Mariano Mastrogiorgio, 2022. "Technological Entry, Redeployability, and Firm Value," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(7), pages 1688-1722, November.
    10. Jakonen, Mikko & Kivinen, Nina & Salovaara, Perttu & Hirkman, Piia, 2017. "Towards an Economy of Encounters? A critical study of affectual assemblages in coworking," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 235-242.
    11. Magni, Massimo & Palmi, Pamela & Salvemini, Severino, 2018. "Under pressure! Team innovative climate and individual attitudes in shaping individual improvisation," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 474-484.
    12. , Aisdl, 2020. "Becoming Attuned," OSF Preprints j7f8y, Center for Open Science.
    13. Candiani, Juan Antonio & Gilsing, Victor & Mastrogiorgio, Mariano, 2022. "Technological entry in new niches: Diversity, crowding and generalism," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    14. Pyung Nahm & Raviv Murciano-Goroff & Michael Park & Russell J. Funk, 2023. "Serendipity in Science," Papers 2308.07519, arXiv.org.
    15. Nguyen, Minh-Hoang & Le, Tam-Tri, 2021. "Serendipity," OSF Preprints ws8hn, Center for Open Science.
    16. Freisinger, Elena & McCarthy, Ian P., 2024. "What fails and when? A process view of innovation failure," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    17. , Aisdl, 2020. "The Serendipity Mindset," OSF Preprints w52y9, Center for Open Science.
    18. Nguyen, Minh-Hoang & Le, Tam-Tri, 2021. "Serendipity as a strategic advantage," OSF Preprints 7dv8j, Center for Open Science.
    19. Busch, Christian, 2024. "Towards a theory of serendipity: a systematic review and conceptualization," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122704, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Stock-Homburg, Ruth M. & Heald, Shannon L.M. & Holthaus, Christian & Gillert, Nils Lennart & Hippel, Eric von, 2021. "Need-solution pair recognition by household sector individuals: Evidence, and a cognitive mechanism explanation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(8).
    21. Jethromel M. Meneses, 2023. "A Penetrating Effect: From Becquerel’s Serendipity to A Scientific Knowledge," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(5), pages 1061-1080, May.
    22. Zheng, Linglin (Gloria) & Wechtler, Heidi M. & Heyden, Mariano L.M. & Bouncken, Ricarda B., 2024. "Global disasters and the luck of the draw? A serendipity perspective on MNE responses to global disasters," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).

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