Investigating serendipity: How it unfolds and what may influence it

Abstract

Serendipity is not an easy word to define. Its meaning has been stretched to apply to experiences ranging from the mundane to the exceptional. Serendipity, however, is consistently associated with unexpected and positive personal, scholarly, scientific, organizational, and societal events and discoveries. Diverse serendipitous experiences share a conceptual space; therefore, what lessons can we draw from an exploration of how serendipity unfolds and what may influence it? This article describes an investigation of work-related serendipity. Twelve professionals and academics from a variety of fields were interviewed. The core of the semi-structured interviews focused on participants' own work-related experiences that could be recalled and discussed in depth. This research validated and augmented prior research while consolidating previous models of serendipity into a single model of the process of serendipity, consisting of: Trigger, Connection, Follow-up, and Valuable Outcome, and an Unexpected Thread that runs through 1 or more of the first 4 elements. Together, the elements influence the Perception of Serendipity. Furthermore, this research identified what factors relating to the individual and their environment may facilitate the main elements of serendipity and further influence its perception.

Online serendipity: A contextual differentiation of antecedents and outcomes

“…Different process models of serendipity have been proposed (McCay‐Peet, ). In discussing three such models, Quan‐Haase and McCay‐Peet () note that “they vary considerably in their focus and key assumptions” (p. 140).…”

“…Despite recent advances in the study of serendipity, important research gaps remain (McCay‐Peet, ; Quan‐Haase, ): As of today, little is known about the mental or cognitive antecedents of serendipity experiences. Rubin et al () and McCay‐Peet () have proposed several drivers in that regard, for example prior need, background knowledge, personality traits (agreeableness, openness, extraversion), locus of control, and creativity. However, few empirical studies on those antecedents exist.…”

“…Serendipity was defined as “ an unexpected experience prompted by an individual's valuable interaction with ideas, information, objects, or phenomena .” (McCay‐Peet, , p. 11). Serendipity has been heavily associated with information and library science (Erdelez, ; Makri & Blandford, ), particularly focusing on information acquisition (Foster & Ford, ; Martin & Quan‐Haase, ; Quan‐Haase & McCay‐Peet, ).…”

“…Given that algorithmic filtering based on homophily is held to reduce serendipity experiences, online services may be faced with the difficult challenge of balancing convenience benefits against serendipity benefits. Given this conundrum, authors have called for a contextual differentiation of our understanding of serendipity (McCay‐Peet, ). The benefits of serendipity experiences may be more or less salient depending on the online service in question.…”

A Model of Social Media Engagement: User Profiles, Gratifications, and Experiences

“…Serendipity is 'an unexpected experience prompted by an individual's valuable interaction with ideas, information, objects, or phenomena' [39]. Serendipity is a positive experience relating to the use of social media, resulting from a dynamic, messy information space that is unpredictable and full of surprises.…”