Applying the Content Analysis Approach in Presenting a Model for Consequences of Leaders' Ambiguity Tolerance

 The present study aims to identify the consequences of leaders' ambiguity tolerance and design a comprehensive model of these consequences.

Design/ methodology/ approach: 

  This research has been done with a qualitative approach which is the content analysis method. The statistical population of study includes academic experts and executive experts of the Ministry of Petroleum who have experience in decision making and management in the condition of uncertainty. The statistical sample of study was nineteen people. The sampling was purposeful and performed by snowball method. Data were collected through interviews with experts. For data analysis, three-step Attride-Stirling coding and theme network analysis method were used.

 After analyzing the data, the consequences of leaders' ambiguity tolerance were categorized into two comprehensive themes, individual and organizational consequences. Findings showed that individual consequences (cognitive, psychological and functional) along with organizational consequences (human resources, process, market and finance) provide a strong incentive for organizations to pay serious attention to the leaders' ambiguity tolerance and their attempt to improve it.

Limitations & Consequences:  

The study has been done in the Petroleum industry that has specific characteristics. So the generalization of results to other areas is challenging.

Practical Consequences: 

 The model of leaders' Ambiguity Tolerance helps to better explain the importance and necessity of leaders' ambiguity tolerance.

Innovation or value of the Article: 

what this article adds to the research in this field is identifying the consequences of leaders' Ambiguity Tolerance and providing a model of them.