The Unexpected Game: How Serendipity, Zemblanity, and Bahramdipity Shape Business Action Under Uncertainty

The Unexpected Game challenges the managerial illusion that uncertainty can be fully controlled. The Unexpected Game challenges the managerial illusion that uncertainty can be fully controlled. Instead, it demonstrates how organizations actively shape their relationship with the unexpected. By introducing the concepts of serendipity (turning surprises into opportunities), zemblanity (drifting into predictable failure), and bahramdipity (suppressing novel ideas under hierarchy), the book offers a fresh lens on how managerial action influences outcomes under uncertainty—at both individual and organizational levels. Blending theory, empirical cases, and practical diagnostic tools, it provides a framework for engaging with uncertainty more deliberately. Written for scholars, managers, and entrepreneurs, the book encourages a shift from attempting to eliminate uncertainty to learning how to navigate it wisely.