Dialectical Inquiry Research Articles

Language, tranning, and experience in information system assessment

This paper proposes a framework of models for making information system assessments and provides empirical evidence relevant to the framework. Perceptions of the decision language and degree of structure appropriate to each model are tested, as are the impact of training and experience on the perceived usefulness of various assessment models. Results indicate that assessment models primarily based on quantitative language were perceived as more useful when executed as structured procedures, and models primarily based on qualitative language were perceived as more useful when executed as unstructured procedures. In addition, perceptions of a decision model's usefulness were affected by participants' training and experience. The findings suggest that no single model is perceived as rich enough to encompass a full range of decision languages and procedures, and that the perceived usefulness of any given model depends on an individual's training and experience. Triangulation and dialectic inquiry are suggested as possible multimodel strategies useful in enriching information system assessment practice.

Effects of devil's advocacy and dialectical inquiry on decision making: A meta-analysis

For the past two decades, researchers have been investigating the effects of two techniques for promoting and managing cognitive conflict on decision making; devil's advocacy (DA) and dialectical inquiry (DI). Reviewers of previous experiments have reached different conclusions about whether the DA and DI are superior to a simpler expert (E)-based approach involving no conflict and whether the DI is superior to the DA in improving decision making. In this paper, meta-analysis has been applied to the results of all previous experiments on the effects of the DA and DI on decision making. The results suggest that the DA is more effective than the E approach in general. However, the superiority of the DI to the E was not demonstrated in experiments using relatively ill-structured tasks. Neither the DA nor the DI was shown to be a more effective method of introducing conflict into decision making. The meta-analysis provides directions for future research which are offered in the Conclusions.

An analysis of the structure of expert knowledge

An important criterion affecting the success of an expert system is the quality of the underlying heuristics elicited from an expert. It is believed possible though, to use factors such as formal education, experience, and cognitive functioning to define the level of competence of experts when they perform in a specific domain. Thus, five hypotheses were postulated and tested by means of an empirical study of 17 security analysts in an attempt to study the relationship existing between these factors. It was f ound that the number of deviation-amplifying feedback cycles in the subjects' cause maps correlated with the degree of their security price forecasting accuracy. However, no significant correlation between accuracy of forecasting and the subjects' education, experience, or cognitive complexity was found. In view of lack of an indicator for the choice of an expert with superior performance, application of dialectical inquiry is proposed to assist the knowledge engineer in improving the validity of the underlying knowledge base of the expert systems under consideration.

EXPERIENTIAL EFFECTS OF DIALECTICAL INQUIRY, DEVIL'S ADVOCACY AND CONSENSUS APPROACHES TO STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING.

This longitudinal laboratory study of fast-advancing middle managers involved in strategic planning compared the effectiveness of dialectical inquiry, devil's advocacy, and consensus approaches to ...

Experiential Effects of Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy and Consensus Approaches to Strategic Decision Making

Experiential Effects of Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy and Consensus Approaches to Strategic Decision Making

Strategic planning in technology transfer: A dialectical approach

The decision-making approach to technolgy transfer has not received adequate attention in technology transfer studies. This paper uses the dialectical inquiry system to show how multinational corporations (MNCs) can transfer appropriate technology to less developed countries (LDCs). The process based on achieving “reasonable compatible” goals between MNCs and LDCs will lead to synergistic effects and further progress in the trasfer of technology. Conflict leads to incompatibility in goals. It is not necessary that all conflicting goals be resolved. In fact, such conflicts may contribute substantially to the perpetuation of the technological relationship. A relationship without conflict may be devoid of the dynamism that frequently arises from disharmony and dissonance. The paper further introduces the Enthalpy-Entropy cycle to show the consequences of making the right decisions as well as the consequences of poor planning and implementation of technology. The framework introduced in this paper offers a strategic planning approach that can enhance the decision-making process of both the MNCs and LCDs.

A meta‐analysis on the comparative effectiveness of devil's advocacy and dialectical inquiry

AbstractThe use of meta‐analysis allows us to draw stronger inferences from past research than are possible from traditional literature. In this paper the general purpose of meta‐analysis is discussed, and it is used to resolve a dispute regarding a collection of studies in strategic management dealing with devil's advocacy and dialectical inquiry. The use of meta‐analysis leads to different conclusions from those drawn in an earlier review of these studies. At the end of the paper the limitations and potential uses of meta‐analysis in strategic management are discussed.

The utilization of individual capabilities in group approaches to strategic decision‐making

AbstractPrevious research has found that groups using dialectical inquiry (DI) or devil's advocacy (DA) make better strategic decisions than groups using a consensus (C) approach. This paper explains those findings by using new data to show that the DI and DA approaches make better use of the capabilities of individual group members. Specifically, the DI and DA groups yielded significantly higher quality recommendations and assumptions than the average of the individuals in the respective groups, whereas the C groups did not. Moreover, the recommendations and assumptions of the DI groups and the recommendations of the DA groups significantly exceeded those of the best individual in the respective groups. There were no significant differences for the C groups.

Presenting information under conditions of uncertainty and availability: Some recommendations

An appropriate method for presenting information to the decision maker should depend on the situation. Rather than discuss well-structured, semi-structured, and unstructured situations, this paper proposes a matrix combining levels of uncertainty and amounts of available information. Based on combinations of these two factors, various methods of presenting information are recommended. High information, low uncertainty lends itself to mathematical formulae, procedures, and management information systems (MIS). Low uncertainty and low information seems to benefit from decision support systems (DSS). High uncertainty and high information may benefit from expert systems and a devil's advocate element. Finally, high uncertainty and low information may be appropriate for a dialectical inquiry method of presenting information.

A Longitudinal Comparative Analysis of Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy and Consensus Approaches to Strategic Decision Making.

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings includes abstracts of all papers and symposia presented at the annual conference, plus 6-page abridged versions of the “Best Papers” accepted for inclusion in the program (approximately 10%). Papers published in the Proceedings are abridged because presenting papers at their full length could preclude subsequent journal publication. Please contact the author(s) directly for the full papers. ArticlesA Longitudinal Comparative Analysis of Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy and Consensus Approaches to Strategic Decision Making.David M. Schweiger, Wiliam R. Sandberg and Paula RechnerDavid M. Schweiger, Wiliam R. Sandberg and Paula RechnerPublished Online:13 Dec 2017https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.1988.4979642AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsDownload CitationsAdd to favoritesTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail AbstractThis longitudinal laboratory study using "fast track" middle managers involved in strategic planning found that both DI and DA were more effective than C and all were more effective with experience.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 1988, No. 1 Permissions Metrics in the past 12 months History Published online 13 December 2017 Published in print 1 August 1988 InformationCopyright of Academy of Management Journal is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.KeywordsMANAGEMENT researchDECISION makingSTRATEGIC planningBUSINESS planningCOUNTERARGUMENTSMIDDLE managersCOMPARATIVE studiesLONGITUDINAL methodINDUSTRIAL managementPERSONNEL managementGROUP decision makingORGANIZATIONAL behavior -- ResearchINDUSTRIAL efficiencyORGANIZATIONAL effectivenessDownload PDF

The relation between young children's cognitive role-taking and mothers' preference for a conflict-inducing childrearing method.

In this study, we examined children's cognitive role-taking in relation to their mothers' choices of techniques to solve domestic dilemmas involving children's misbehavior, social skills, and logical reasoning. Results showed that a mother's preference for the childrearing strategy known as distancing, which uses a Socratic or dialectical inquiry to create cognitive conflict in the child, bore a significant association to her child's advancement in cognitive role-taking skill. This finding is discussed in relation to theories of cognitive development that postulate that mental conflict or tension stimulates cognitive growth. Practical factors that might inhibit mothers from making effective use of the distancing technique are also considered.

GROUP APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIALECTICAL INQUIRY, DEVIL'S ADVOCACY, AND CONSENSUS.

This laboratory study compared the effectiveness of the dialectical inquiry, devil's advocacy, and consensus approaches to strategic decision making by groups. Results showed that both dialectical ...

Group Approaches for Improving Strategic Decision Making: A Comparative Analysis of Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy, and Consensus

Group Approaches for Improving Strategic Decision Making: A Comparative Analysis of Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocacy, and Consensus

Dialectical Inquiry in Strategic Planning: Extending the Boundaries

Two schools of thought, philosophical and empirical, are involved in a dialectical conflict over the application of dialectical inquiry (DI) to strategic planning. It is argued here that neither school can be accepted because the former violates the requirements of DI and the latter provides no framework for comparison with other planning methods. This paper emphasizes a need to focus future research on problem-solving technologies using free-simulation as an investigative tool.

Dialectical Inquiry in Strategic Planning: Extending the Boundaries

Dialectical Inquiry in Strategic Planning: Extending the Boundaries

Appropriating (life‐) history through autobiographical writing: André Gorz'sThe Traitor,a dialectical inquiry into the self

(1985). Appropriating (life‐) history through autobiographical writing: Andre Gorz's The Traitor, a dialectical inquiry into the self. Prose Studies: Vol. 8, Modern Selves Essay on Modern British and American Autobiography, pp. 81-96.

Inquiry method effects on performance in a simulated business environment

The dialectical inquiry (DI) and devil's advocate (DA) techniques have been offered as two options for providing information to the decision maker. Several prior studies have not resolved the relative advantages between these two “inquiry methods.” This paper reports two studies that involve a business simulation task and an inquiry method manipulation. In the first study with student subjects as decision makers, the DA advice was more useful than the DI advice in a situation wherein plant and work force expansions were frequent. In the second study with experienced managers, very few expansion decisions were made, and the nature of DA or DI advice made no significant difference. Instead, a recommendation to engage in a high profit margin, low volume strategy proved useful in some conditions.

An Empirical Evaluation of Dialectial Inquiry, Devil's Advocate, and Consensus Approaches to Strategic Decision Making.

A laboratory study was conducted comparing the effectiveness of the Dialectical Inquiry, Devil's Advocate, and Consensus approaches to group strategic decision making. Both DI and DA approaches res...

DEVIL'S ADVOCACY AND DIALECTICAL INQUIRY EFFECTS ON PREDICTION PERFORMANCE: TASK INVOLVEMENT AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE

ABSTRACTCritics of previous laboratory experiments comparing devil's advocacy (DA) to dialectical inquiry (DI) have suggested that these experiments produced misleading results because (1) they used subjects who had low levels of task involvement and (2) the DI treatment used was confusing to subjects and required further explanation to be useful. The present study examines the effects of four inquiry methods—expert (E), DA, DI, and DI with explanatory statement (DI+)—on subjects' performance at a financial prediction task. Results show that DA, DI, and DI + were superior to E when the state of the world differed significantly from assumptions underlying the expert's plan. For subjects with high task involvement, DI and DI + were more effective than E and DA. The results support some of the criticisms of previous laboratory research and suggest that future research on these decision aids should include task involvement as a factor.

The comparative effectiveness of dialectical inquiry and Devil's advocacy: The impact of task biases on previous research findings

AbstractConsiderable debate has recently emerged concerning the comparative effectiveness of two methods of inquiry recommended for use in strategic decision making: dialectical inquiry (DI) and devil's advocacy (DA). Much of the comparative research surrounding this debate has made use of the Multiple Cue Probability Learning Paradigm (MCPLP). The equivocal nature of previous research findings using this paradigm and others, along with results from the present research indicating potential order of presentation effects, raises serious questions concerning previous operationalizations of these two methods.