| Switching Cognitive Gears Between Automatic and Conscious Thinking: Drawing Lessons From Successful vs. Failed Events |
| | Ellis, Shmuel | Tel Aviv U. | sellis@post.tau.ac.il | 972-3-6408080 |
| | Daniel, Inbar | Tel Aviv U. | sellis@post.tau.ac.il | 972-3-6408080 |
| | The traditional argument that failure is a necessary condition for learning from experience was
subjected to an empirical test. Under the assumption that people tend to rethink their failures but
not their successes, we created an experimental opportunity for learners to contemplate success.
Two squadrons of cadets of the Israeli Air Force, taking ground navigation course, participated in the
study. In one squadron, the AARs (after action reviews), conducted after each navigation exercise
were unbalanced, i.e., the cadets were not encouraged to analyze the successful events. In the
second squadron, the AARs were balanced; cadets were debriefed systematically on successful as
well as on failed events. The results show that the learners' pace of performance improvement in
successive navigation exercises was significantly better in the balanced AARs group than in the
control group (AARs of failed events only). The findings also show that learners' mental models of
failed events before the manipulation were richer in constructs and links than mental models of
successful events. However, the gap was closed gradually in subsequent measurements. The role
of mental models in learning from successes and failures is discussed. |
| | Keywords: mental models,; learning from experience,; concious/systematic thinking |
| The Evolution of Search Strategies for Knowledge by Organizations |
| | Lucas, Leyland | Rutgers U., Newark | leylandl@pegasus.rutgers.edu | (973)-353-1650 |
| | ogilvie, dt | Rutgers U. | dt.ogilvie@newark.rutgers.edu | (973) 353-1288 |
| | An important issue in organizational research is 'why do firms differ in performance?' Some research has emphasized the role of knowledge acquisition as key to sustaining superior performance (Bettis & Hitt, 1995). Other research emphasizes that knowledge employees are critical to sustaining superior performance (Drucker, 1993). These perspectives might by characterized as process versus content views. Despite this emerging interest in organizational learning and knowledge acquisition, there is still a lack of consensus on exactly what learning entails, how it occurs, and under what conditions it is pursued (Miller, 1996). Efforts to acquire knowledge must be designed to support organizational activities that question existing norms and values, and support employees in their efforts to 'drop their tools' (Weick, 1996). Therefore, as organizations search for knowledge, they must be cognizant of the limitations imposed by entrenched behaviors, but not be constranied by them. This paper takes the position that that firms in pursuit of knowledge, adopt specific search strategies. These strategies differ at the various stages of the organization's development. It is the stage of the organization's development that will determine if search strategies emphasize local, global, or a combination of these strategies. |
| | Keywords: Search; Knowledge; Strategies |
| Information Cues and Decision Making: The Effects of Learning, Momentum, and Social Comparison in Competing Teams |
| | Lant, Theresa K. | New York U. | tlant@stern.nyu.edu | 212 998-0226 |
| | Hewlin, Patricia F. | New York U. | phewlin@stern.nyu.edu | 212 998-0388 |
| | The question of how managers make decisions, such as formulating competitive strategies continues to be a major theme in management literature. Cognitive models of organizational decision making have benefited from research on individual-level information processing. This study explores the applicability of individual-level models of information processing to teams of decision-makers making resource allocation and strategic decisions in simulated organizations. The paper proposes that cognitive scripts will focus decision-maker attention on different types of information for different categories of decisions. The findings suggest that different cues influence tactical and strategic decisions. Prior decisions and prior performance mostly influence tactical decision-making; the competitive environment primarily influences strategic decision-making. |
| | Keywords: Managerial cognition;; Deceision making;; Competition |