Factors for analytical and intuitive cognition in strategy consultants: A multivariate analysis

Area of Science:

• Management Science
• Organizational Behavior
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Strategy consultants are believed to heavily influence organizational strategy processes through analytical thinking.
• Understanding the cognitive styles of these consultants is crucial for optimizing strategy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the cognitive styles of strategy consultants, focusing on the balance between analytical and intuitive thinking.
• To investigate the impact of experience on cognitive style and the role of bias awareness in decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative research design utilizing advanced statistical methods.
• Analysis of survey data from strategy consultants on cognitive styles, biases, and debiasing approaches.
• Application of linear models, path analysis, non-parametric analyses, and principal component analysis.

Main Results:

• Strategy consultants generally exhibit a preference for analytical thinking.
• A notable trend shows senior consultants increasingly relying on intuition with growing experience.
• Awareness of cognitive biases and the implementation of debiasing measures significantly influence decision-making processes.

Conclusions:

• The cognitive style of strategy consultants is not solely analytical; intuition plays a significant and evolving role.
• Experience moderates the reliance on intuition, suggesting a developmental aspect to cognitive strategies.
• Effective strategy consulting involves managing cognitive biases and leveraging both analytical and intuitive approaches.