Managerial intuition across cultures: beyond a “West‐East dichotomy”

Abstract

PurposeStudies investigating intuition from a cultural and cross‐cultural perspective have a long tradition in various disciplines but, due to the increased internationalization of business, an understanding of the mental lives of other cultures became one of the priorities of management practitioners and theoreticians. Cultures of Anglo‐American and East Asian origins have drawn particular attention. However, an analysis of management research studies and those in other disciplines shows that the former do not back up the “intuitive East versus analytical West” pattern set by the latter. The article aims at discussing this discrepancy, its origins as well as the implication for the managerial practice.Design/methodology/approachThe article provides an overview of the various concepts of intuition and methods of measuring it across cultures. It seeks to understand how various epistemological assumptions incorporated in the research affected the results obtained. An aspect under particular scrutiny in the article is the concept of cognitive style, which is employed frequently in management studies.FindingsOne explanation for inconsistent results is a premature effort of management science to test a hypothesis generated by other disciplines, applying different conceptualizations, definitions, methodologies as well as populations. The conclusion is that the cross‐cultural research in management is in need of a more exploratory research, paying attention to the specificity of management context and local knowledge.Research limitations/implicationsThe article proposes that a methodology that potentially has a capacity to meet these requirements is the narrative approach. Possible implications of this observation are discussed in the context of multicultural teams management practice.Originality/valueThe article provides useful information on managerial intuition and methods of measuring it across cultures.