Cognitive Style and the Acceptance of Management Science Recommendations

Abstract

The effective implementation of management science results depends upon a wide variety of technical and organizational factors. This paper examines the effects of cognitive style in the implementation process. Previous research in cognitive theory and implementation indicates that the nature of the researcher-manager interface may be related to measurable cognitive factors. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the influence of cognitive style and the style of written reports on the acceptance of management science recommendations. Graduate students and practicing managers participated in separate but identical experimental trials. The findings indicate that differences in acceptance rates are due not only to differences in cognitive style, but also to differences in the subject populations.

Information systems and organizational change

“…Kunruether and Slovic (42)]; (2) managers and students (the traditional subjects of experiments) have difficulty with simple trade-off choices [Zionts and Wallenius (77)]; (3) perceptions are selective [Dearborn and Simon (14) ] ; (4) there are clear biases and personality differences in problem-solving "styles" [Huysmans (30) , McKenney and Keen (49) , Doktor (16) ] that may even lead individuals to reject accurate and useful information [Churchman (11), Doktor and Hamilton (17)]; (5) even intelligent and experienced decision makers make many errors of logic and inference [Tversky and Kahnemann (68), Ross (61)]; and (6) managers prefer concrete and verbal data to analysis [Mintzberg (51), Stewart (65)]. …”

Understanding Relationship between Milestone and Decision-Making in Project Management: A Qualitative Study among Project Managers in Saudi Arabia

“…In terms of style, Doktor and Hamilton (1973) believe that decision-making is a cognitive style. Harren (1979) categorizes decision-making styles into: However, according to Thirumalai and Senthilkumar (2017), the decision making in competitive environment is more sophisticated; in addition, within the complex competitive environment, making logical decision is effected by certain circumstances.…”

The implementation of operations research/management science modeling techniques

“…' In addition, he emphasized a preference for live action and sug gested that, whenever possible, managers engage in activities allowing such action. Further, Hysman [10], Doktor and Hamilton [5], Morris [17], and McKinney and Keen [14] have shown that personal decision style may be an effective con straint on the implementation process. The models discussed herein are formulated to be compatible with the managerial operating characteristics and to account for diffeiing decision styles.…”

“…3 The style evaluation may give the analyst some insights into potential barriers to implementation. For example, Doktor and Hamilton [5] and Huysman [10] found that users show a preference for the mode of presentation of results. McKinnery and Keen [14] also suggest style may affect infor mation scanning as well as information processing behavior.…”