Introducing “navigating failure in ethnography”: a forum about failure in ethnographic research

Abstract

PurposeThe authors introduce a recurrent section for the Journal of Organizational Ethnography which scrutinizes the various manifestations and roles of failure in ethnographic research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors peruse a wide body of literature which tackles the role of failure in ethnographic research and draw on the experiences to argue for a more sustained and in-depth conversation on the topic.Findings“Failure” regularly occurs in ethnographic research, yet remains under-examined. Increased discussion on the topic will enrich debates on methodology and fieldwork in particular.Originality/valueWhile various scholars have commented on the role of “failure” in ethnographic research, an in-depth and sustained examination of the topic is lacking.