A three‐factor measure of discernment

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to operationalize the concept of discernment and to present an instrument to measure it.Design/methodology/approachThe approach takes the form of a mixed‐method exploratory design that relied on principal component analyses and internal consistency performed on the resultant data set from a pool of items developed from the literature, as well as from a panel of experts. The investigation employed in‐depth interviews conducted with eight purposively selected leaders about their decision‐making processes and augmented the findings with data from 240 leaders, generated via an online survey.FindingsThe result is a three‐factor self‐rating instrument that measures courage, intuition, and faith, with Cronbach alpha values of 0.85, 0.89, and 0.85, respectively. These three factors appear to operationalize the concept of discernment.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the conceptual definition of the construct has merit, its completeness is subject to debate. If the conceptualization were incomplete, the results of the study would provide only a marginal understanding of the phenomenon. Moreover, an operational definition based on an incomplete conceptualization will fail to generate theory‐oriented propositions. Additional research is needed to establish population norms.Practical implicationsThe study contributes to the ongoing task of appropriating spirituality in organizational life, demonstrates that discernment has value in contemporary leadership and organizational praxis, and provides an instrument for self‐evaluation by leaders as to how well each leader engages in discernment. The instrument offers a leadership development tool to help identify high or low discernment.Originality/valueThe study is original and makes the foundational contribution for a beginning stream of research.

Secular discernment: A process of individual unlearning and collective relearning

“…The practice and process of discernment is primarily investigated as an approach to decision-making (Benefiel, 2005b; Delbecq et al, 2004; Traüffer et al, 2010a, 2010b). In many ways, expressions of discernment as a decision-making process are not too dissimilar to objective-rational-analytical forms of managerial decision-making – including ‘framing the question, gathering and analyzing relevant data, and identifying courses of action and assessing their implications’ (Miller, 2020: 393).…”

The Relationship between Spiritual Intelligence and Transformational Leadership Style among Student Leaders

“…Schaefer (2008) defined Discernment as a process of one's effort to balance personal good with the greater good of common goals of the organization. Traüffer, et al (2010) Emmons & McCullough (2003) defined it as a series of behaviour, feeling, moral virtue, and a response to others. Gratitude is also highly related to one's well being (Wood, et al, 2010).…”

A round of dancing and then one more: embedding intuition in the ballet of entrepreneurial decision making

“…Intuition is nourished by the instincts that shape the entrepreneurial mindset and affect the way information is collected and processed to make decisions (Mueller, 2018;Schindehutte et al, 2006). Besides, intuition involves discernment (Traüffer et al, 2010a), that is to say the "…ability to evaluate complex situations and make sound judgments" based on wisdom and on reflective understanding (Traüffer et al, 2010b: p. 177). Both inspiration and divination are constitutive elements of intuition.…”