{
  "id": 15852090,
  "title": "Pluralistic ignorance and the need to unlearn, learn, and relearn in supply chain management",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/pluralistic-ignorance-and-the-need-to-unlearn-learn-and-relearn-in",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-21T06:13:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/pluralistic-ignorance-and-the-need-to-unlearn-learn-and-relearn-in-supply-chain-management/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pluralistic ignorance emerges when individuals privately doubt a group norm but falsely assume most others endorse it (Mendes, Lopez-Valeiras & Lunkes, 2017). In supply chain management, this phenomenon can perpetuate outmoded practices. Employees, suppliers, and managers may privately question a forecast or inventory assumption, yet publicly support it, believing senior leaders or other partners endorse it. Limited research links pluralistic ignorance to supply chain management, so its causes and consequences remain unclear (Mendes et al., 2017). When this silence masks obsolete practices as rational, decision-makers receive an incomplete view of reality. Pluralistic ignorance within organizations can suppress genuine opinions, weakening knowledge sharing and decision quality (Chumg, 2024). Similarly, between companies, hidden expectations can form as both parties assume the other has necessary information (Kauppi et al., 2023). This failure to question assumptions can be dangerous, especially if a supply chain becomes normalized due to successful operation for a prolonged period. Familiar knowledge may no longer fit the changing environment. Unlearning—deliberately questioning and abandoning knowledge, beliefs, or routines—becomes essential. It involves replacing adversarial relationships with collaboration, treating logistics as a value driver, or shifting from reactive to proactive risk management (Silvestre et al., 2023). However, unlearning must be strategic and integrated with learning and relearning, not merely discarding outdated practices. Resilient supply chains must distinguish between obsolete routines and essential capabilities, and know which new practices require testing before scaling (Alvarenga & Andrade Guedes, 2026). Learning in supply chain management is interorganizational, occurring among businesses, suppliers, customers, logistics providers, and others. There are four forms: captive, consortium, selective, and distributed learning (Silvestre et al., 2023). A learning supply chain goes beyond occasional training, diffusing knowledge through various arrangements. However, unclear communication and rewards can hinder learning and lead to the reproduction of outdated assumptions. Companies must create incentives and communication structures to encourage disclosure, knowledge exchange, and challenging dominant assumptions.",
  "summary": "Introduction PLURALISTIC ignorance occurs when people privately question or reject a group norm but mistakenly believe that most others support it (Mendes, Lopez-Valeiras & Lunkes, 2017). Because each person remains silent, the group’s false perception of consensus becomes self-reinforcing. In supply chain management, this dynamic can allow outdated routines to survive. Employees, suppliers, and…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pluralistic ignorance occurs when employees doubt norms but assume others endorse them.",
    "In supply chain management, this can perpetuate obsolete practices as rational."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The tendency to publicly endorse flawed norms while privately doubting them forces organizations to prioritize strategic unlearning and structured communication to prevent obsolete practices from compromising decision quality.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}