Strategic Decision Making: The Influence of CEO Experience and Use of Tacit Knowledge

摘要: At any given moment one is conscious of only a small section what knows. Intuition allows to draw on that vast storehouse unconscious knowledge includes not everything has experienced or learned either consciously subliminally, but also the infinite reservoir collective universal unconscious, in which individual separateness and ego boundaries are transcended. Unlimited access Vaughan's would be akin Nirvana for strategic planners. Accessing information strong basis planning crucial long-term survival organization. Therefore, if decision makers could tap portion this incalculable resource during strategy formulation, better decisions should develop ultimately result improved organizational performance. Furthermore, as less formalized methods making prove capable accessing inventory, they bear closer scrutiny. One potentially fruitful, albeit controversial, informal decision-making method relies use tacit knowledge. A manager's inventory (TKI) (Sternberg et al., 1995) analogous (1979) Tacit defined work-related practical know-how informally job (Wagner Sternberg, 1986); it manifest by people knowing more than can tell (Polanyi, 1966). It sometimes associated with intuition, choice made without formal analysis (Behling Eckel, 1991), since intuition serves conduit transfer (Anthony 1993; Parikh 1994). Today's practitioners continually plagued perceived inconsistency their thought process. They sense an expectation purely rational (Mintzberg 1995), have discovered through experience tacit, hidden, quite beneficial (Isenberg, 1984). Such benefits include faster process (Eisenhardt, 1990), effective (Agor, 1985a), fewer pertinent factors necessary (Wagner, 1987). particularly germane making. Strategy stigma unsystematic reasoning (Ansoff, 1988). incomplete searches alternatives, satisficing, bounded rationality (Simon, 1960) influence perception. In fact, instead problems seeking solution, organization may from its "garbage can" ready-made solutions apply them arise (Cohen 1972). Perhaps appropriately, these seemingly simply applications examples Mintzberg al. (1976) refer managers trying str-ucture unstructured attempt identify whatever familiar early That is, useful explaining why many fact logical. The purpose study condemn traditional analytical decisions. We agree Herbert Simon "The manager does luxury choosing between analytic intuitive approaches problems" (1987: 63). Each must balanced combination both, much like brain depends both hemispheres proper operation orientation (Mintzberg, seek critical variables affect This expands previous work linking level focusing cognitive key maker. Specifically, examines effect Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). …