The Unsung Virtues of Ambiguity in Subcontracted Work

Academic literature deems ambiguity must be eliminated or pushed outside these organizations, since it is considered to weaken risk management. Based on a qualitative study, this chapter demonstrates that ambiguity can offer a powerful means to facilitate coordination between stakeholders involved in preparing and carrying out complex and hazardous activities. This assumes that ambiguity is accepted and managed rather than eliminated. To turn ambiguity into an advantage, it is important to be able to discuss multiple interpretations, choose ‘the best one’ and negotiate or create new ones in order to produce a shared frame of reference that is appropriate to the situation. Management systems can be designed to support these discussions of multiple interpretations ahead of work being carried out. We show that ambiguity is managed ‘cold’, outside the process of action, and during action, depending on the quality of interactions between the relevant stakeholders and the soft skills employed by those involved.