A Reflection on the Inversion of Knowledge Flow in Organizations and the Syndrome of “Operational Inexperience”

Mohammad Zarandi, PhD in Business Administration
Introduction
In the clamor of today’s organizations, it seems the compass of knowledge has lost its direction. No longer is the institution the teacher; rather, it is the newcomers who light the way. Experience — once the priceless treasure of any organization — has faded into the shadow of degrees and memorized theories.
This article takes a deep look at this troubling inversion — a phenomenon that, if left unaddressed, will dry the roots of wisdom in the soil of organizations.
Generational Aversion to Experience: A Modern Business Challenge
Today, we witness a worrisome phenomenon in the organizational sphere: the flow of knowledge seems to have reversed its course. Instead of knowledge flowing from institutions to individuals, it is now the individuals who bring knowledge into organizations — not learning from them, but rather instructing them. In some cases, senior employees or even supervisors expect to be taught and guided by their subordinates.
I call this phenomenon “operational inexperience” or “generational aversion to experience.”
A review of the past two decades in Iran shows that universities, instead of producing skilled and practice-ready professionals, have mainly mass-produced graduates who enter the job market with high expectations and little real-world experience.
This gap between theoretical knowledge and practical ability has not only reduced productivity in workplaces but also reversed the flow of knowledge transfer, so that often, it is individuals who are educating organizations rather than the other way around.
What makes this situation even more alarming is that more and more people are becoming afflicted by this “inexperience,” without even realizing it.
Detached from the real ecosystem of business, they stand with false confidence and a sense of entitlement, shouting: “That’s beneath me!”
In academic literature, such individuals are referred to as “one-dimensional theorists” — those who know only what books have taught them, devoid of practical grounding.
Now imagine such a person offering you business advice or sitting in a managerial chair… Wouldn’t that spell disaster for that unit or organization?
A Prescription for “Operational Inexperience”
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Seek real-world skills. High grades and rote learning will not help you. Sometimes, the most valuable part of your résumé is that one month of internship or hands-on field experience.
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Forget the phrase “That’s beneath me.” True dignity lies in competence and experience, not in avoiding work.
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Students, take internships seriously — only then will the job market take you seriously.
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If you know someone afflicted with “operational inexperience,” either distance yourself or encourage them to leave the sidelines and engage in real work.
If this trend continues without structural reforms in the education system and human resource policies, it could weaken the nation’s human capital and reduce the competitiveness of organizations at regional and global levels.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this phenomenon is a warning bell for the future of organizations and the country’s human resources. When knowledge becomes detached from experience, productivity declines, and the path of growth veers off course.
Reforming the educational system and revisiting human resource strategies is not a choice — it is a necessity.
Only by reuniting theory with practice can organizations hope to regain their true standing and move toward sustainable growth.