AMBIGUITY, EQUIVOCALTY, AND UNCERTAINTY : AN ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CONCEPTS PROVIDING ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationships among three concepts of ambiguity, equivocality and uncertainty. These concepts are used to describe organizational behavior, but have been applied in different models. Ambiguity is the key concept in the garbage can model and refers to disorder in organization. Equivocality is employed in the evolution model represented by Weick (1979) to describe the cycle of organizing. Organizing is consensually validated grammar of reducing equivocality by means of sensible interlocked behaviors. Uncertainty is used in contingency theory and resource dependence theory. For dealing with the problem of uncertainty, organizations either reduce the necessity of information processing or increase the ability of information processing. By applying these concepts, we can get rich explanation about organizational behavior. For a better understanding, it is important to take a look at the relationships among these concepts at the same time. There are several theories dealing with the relationships among them, though those theories use them in their distinctive way and there has been no work trying to evaluate and integrate those models. To resolve the theoretical problems above, we firstly survey three models which deal with the three concepts and extract their characteristics. Those three models are Weick model, Information-processing model, and Sequential model. The former two models can be categorized as synchronous model. Secondly, we compare the synchronous model and the sequential model in terms of multi-paradigm theory and point out the superiority of the sequential model over synchronous model. According to Schultz & Hatch (1996), it is important to show contrasts and connections between paradigms in multi-paradigm research. The sequential model we present in this paper deals with both contrasts and connections. Thirdly, by interpreting the synchronous model through the sequential model, we offer a comprehensive explanation of the relationships among ambiguity, equivocality, and uncertainty.