Reconceptualizing Intuition in Supply Chain Management

Abstract

S tudies in the psychology and management disciplines suggest that intuition might be able to complement rationality as an effective decision-making approach. Yet, a review of how decision makers in supply chain contexts can benefit from using their intuition demonstrates that our discipline lacks a unifying conceptualization and operationalization of the complex intuition construct. Our study addresses this opportunity by following an extensive mixed-method approach, in which we first use qualitative content analysis and quantitative testing to conceptualize intuition as a multidimensional construct consisting of experience-based, emotional, and automatic-processing dimensions. We then operationalize and empirically assess multidimensionality using a multiple study format, and perform an inferential analysis to begin to assess nomological validity. Our reconceptualization of intuition allows for a richer understanding of this key facet of supply chain management decision making, and our accompanying scale provides evidence of its multidimensionality and efficacy in making decisions in the uncertain and time-constrained environments that supply chain managers often face.

Do Managers’ Dark Personality Traits Help Firms in Coping with Adverse Supply Chain Events?

“…First, as Kaufmann et al () note, findings on the effect of intuition on SCM outcomes are ambiguous, which might be caused by heterogeneous conceptualizations and operationalizations of the intuition construct. This study therefore examines managerial cognition by using a recent reconceptualization of intuition in SCM (Carter et al, ). We operationalize intuition as a higher order, multidimensional construct of experience‐based, emotional, and automatic processing modes.…”

Blockchain Applications in Supply Chain Transactions

“…Three databases were selected for the literature search—Business Source Complete (via EBSCO), Emerald Insight, and ScienceDirect—because they have some of the largest repositories of business research and are typically used in reviews of logistics and business studies (Wagner and Kemmerling 2010; Durach, Wieland, and Machuca 2015; Carter, Kaufmann, and Wagner 2017). A simple Boolean keyword search was executed using the keywords “blockchain AND application.” We limited our initial search to academic peer‐reviewed outlets, with no further limitations.…”

Methods to Our Madness: Adapting Methods to the Changing Nature of Our Problems

“…For instance, Carter et al. (), this year's LaLonde Best Paper award winner, present a compelling conceptualization of supply chain intuition by employing a mixed‐method approach.…”