Session Summary

Session Number:208
Session ID:S22
Session Title:Strategic Thinking Ability in Top Management Teams: A Cognitive Perspective
Short Title:Cognition and TMTs
Session Type:Division Joint Symposium
Hotel:Hyatt West
Floor:LL1
Room:Comiskey
Time:Monday, August 09, 1999 9:00 AM - 10:20 AM

Sponsors

BPS  (Ming-Jer Chen)BPS99@wharton.upenn.edu (215) 898-0018 
MOC  (Kathleen Sutcliffe)ksutclif@umich.edu (734) 764-2312 

General People

Chair Madhavan, Ravindranath  U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign rmadhava@uiuc.edu 217-333-3322 
Discussant Naman, John L. U. of Pittsburgh naman+@pitt.edu 412-521-8548 

Submissions

Understanding Expertise in Strategic Thinking 
Presenter Madhavan, Ravindranath  U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign rmadhava@uiuc.edu 217-333-3322 
Business Strategy And Business Improvement Methodologies 
Presenter Tuggle, Francis D. American U. ftuggle@american.edu 202-885-1958 
Measuring Cognition Is Not Exotic 
 Markoczy, Livia  Cranfield U. L.Markoczy@cranfield.ac.uk +44 1234 751 122 x3757 
 Goldberg, Jeffrey  Cranfield U. J.Goldberg@Cranfield.ac.uk +44 1234 751846 
Strategic Thinking and Diversity of Cognition 
Presenter Naman, John L. U. of Pittsburgh naman+@pitt.edu 412-521-8548 

Abstract

This panel seeks to initiate a conversation among strategy and cognition researchers on the individual cognitive processes that constitute superior strategic thinking ability in top management teams. Two sets of issues are highlighted: First, what are the key defining questions and disciplines related to the study of strategic thinking ability? Second, what are the conceptual and methodological approaches relevant to such an investigation? The first presentation outlines the key constitutive issues of the domain of strategic thinking, as well as an investigative approach based on the cognitive psychology tradition of expertise research. Based on a case study of a management consulting firm, the second presentation puts forward an account of how influential management "technologies"-such as knowledge management and re-engineering-become essential cognitive aids that transform the nature and process of strategic thinking. The third presentation addresses empirical methodology, arguing that that it is possible to study the thinking and cognition of strategy makers without having to develop whole sets of new techniques-challenging the view that the accurate study of cognition, if feasible at all, requires complex and often cumbersome "new" methodologies. The fourth presentation employs a protocol analysis approach in an empirical study of strategic thinking, leading to some interesting propositions about the cognitive processes used by decision makers when dealing with imperfect information. Given the current interest in managerial and organizational resources as a basis for competitive advantage, the content of the panel should be of interest to a broad audience at the academy.