Dark Side of Clarity: Its Effect on Knowledge Production and Decision-Making

Authors

  • Adrian Wolfberg

Keywords:

intelligence, analysis, information overload, equivocality, helpfulness, clarity

Abstract

Law enforcement decision-makers rely on intelligence analysts to produce intelligence products that are clear. Yet, intelligence analysts live in a world characterised by ambiguity and information overload. This paper examines the intellectual journey that leads to clarity of thought, and the effect of the dark side of clarity on producing knowledge for decision-making. The paper asked, how does the dark side of clarity manifest itself to analyst and decision-maker? The result is counterintuitive; while the bright side of clarity is expected, and demanded because of its benefit to decision-making, the dark side of clarity co-exists in the shadows of certainty and makes it difficult to think critically. Neither analyst nor decision-maker is likely aware of this negative effect. To make this dark side of clarity visible, recommendations are made that begin with raising analyst awareness by augmenting existing training. Then, decision-maker awareness can be approached through training and facilitated coaching.

Author Biography

  • Adrian Wolfberg

    Dr Adrian Wolfberg, BA, MS, MS, PhD, is serving as the Chairman of Defense Intelligence, Department of National Security and Strategy, US Army War College, Carlisle, PA, on a rotational teaching assignment from the Department of Defense. He earned his PhD from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, where he concentrated on decision-making and learning under varying conditions of information overload, uncertainty, and equivocality. His research focuses on policy informatics, where communication and learning behaviors intersect between analyst and decision-maker within national security and law enforcement contexts.

References

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Published

2023-02-03

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Research Articles

License

Authors retain copyright in their articles and grant SALUS the right of first publication. The work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and the journal, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.

How to Cite

Dark Side of Clarity: Its Effect on Knowledge Production and Decision-Making. (2023). Salus Journal, 5(1), 1-26. https://journals.csu.domains/index.php/salusjournal/article/view/69