Understanding and Measuring Linear–NonLinear Thinking Style for Enhanced Management Education and Professional Practice

Vance, Charles M.; Groves, Kevin S.; Paik, Yongsun; Kindler, Herb

doi:10.5465/amle.2007.25223457

Cited by 71 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…We build our arguments on the basis of several studies, mostly in the context of business ethics [30,61]. In this regard, Fleming [61] argues that an individual with a linear or rational thinking style emphasizes highly the specifics of a situation when making an important decision.…”

Section: Understanding the Link Between Thinking Style And Environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This type of entrepreneur has a high capability for solving organizational problems in more creative ways [5]. Furthermore, individuals with a non-rational style of thinking have a high tendency to be imaginative [30], which may enable them to simultaneously analyze a special situation from different perspectives. The ability to imagine different aspects of the same object-technology progress, for instance-makes it possible to foresee how the probable changes in the object may or may not influence a given situation.…”

Section: Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this regard, Fleming [61] argues that an individual with a linear or rational thinking style emphasizes highly the specifics of a situation when making an important decision. It seems that relying heavily upon this pattern of rationality is less useful for understanding the complex and unpredictable external environment [30]. However, inside their organization, they set up and continuously take care of the legal system, audits, corporate policies, and codes of ethical conduct [30].…”

Section: Understanding the Link Between Thinking Style And Environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It seems that relying heavily upon this pattern of rationality is less useful for understanding the complex and unpredictable external environment [30]. However, inside their organization, they set up and continuously take care of the legal system, audits, corporate policies, and codes of ethical conduct [30]. They analyze the internal organizational environment frequently to maintain an ethical climate in the organization.…”

Section: Understanding the Link Between Thinking Style And Environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Vance et al [30], there are, in general, two distinct types of thinking, namely linear and nonlinear. Entrepreneurs with a linear style of thinking rely more on tangible data and facts; they process the data and information through conscious and rational logic in order to make a final decision.…”

Section: Style Of Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Does Thinking Style Make a Difference in Environmental Perception and Orientation? Evidence from Entrepreneurs in Post-Sanction Iran

2018

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Styles of thinking set different paths for an entrepreneur's perception and strategic action. In order to understand the environmental consequences of a thinking style, we investigated the relations between entrepreneurs' linear and nonlinear styles of thinking with their perception of environmental uncertainty in their businesses. Furthermore, we tested the effect of the entrepreneurs' linear and nonlinear style of thinking on their newly established firms' orientation towards preserving the surrounding internal and external environment. Entrepreneurs with linear or rational thinking styles prefer more tangible data, information, facts, and analytical tools, and entrepreneurs with nonlinear or non-rational thinking styles rely more on internal feelings, impressions, imagination, creativity, and sensations when making important organizational decisions. By using cross-sectional survey data from 144 entrepreneurs in post-sanction Iran (2016-2017), we found that entrepreneurs with a linear style of thinking, in comparison to entrepreneurs with a nonlinear style of thinking, perceive a higher level of environmental state, effect, and response uncertainty in their business context. Furthermore, our survey results reveal that newly established firms by entrepreneurs with nonlinear styles of thinking have a more external environmental orientation, while newly established firms by entrepreneurs with a linear style of thinking have a more internal environmental orientation. Recognizing this contingency advances our understanding of how entrepreneurs perceive and enact their environments.

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Section: Understanding the Link Between Thinking Style And Environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Understanding the Link Between Thinking Style And Environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Understanding the Link Between Thinking Style And Environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Style Of Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does Thinking Style Make a Difference in Environmental Perception and Orientation? Evidence from Entrepreneurs in Post-Sanction Iran

2018

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Meta‐analytic Investigations of the Relation Between Intuition and Analysis

Wang

Highhouse

Lake

et al. 2015

Behavioral Decision Making

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Over 50 years of research on cognitive style has converged on the importance of individual differences in use of intuition and analysis. This program of research is characterized, however, by two incompatible perspectives about the relation between intuition and analysis. The distinction concerns whether intuition and analysis are opposite poles of a single dimension or whether they are orthogonal constructs. Two studies report meta‐analytic investigations of the relation between intuition and analysis. A meta‐analysis of the existing research base (k = 80; n = 27 501) showed that intuition and analysis are uncorrelated. A second meta‐analysis of combinations of subscales from different cognitive style measures (n = 511) supported the results of the first meta‐analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis also supported the existence of two uncorrelated constructs. Overall, the findings support the view that intuition and analysis are independent constructs, rather than opposite ends of a bipolar continuum. In addition, the findings suggest measures of analysis or rationality are not interchangeable. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Linear and Nonlinear Thinking: A Multidimensional Model and Measure

Groves

Vance

2014

Journal of Creative Behavior

Self Cite

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Building upon previously developed and more general dual-process models, this paper provides empirical support for a multidimensional thinking style construct comprised of linear thinking and multiple dimensions of nonlinear thinking. A self-report assessment instrument (Linear/Nonlinear Thinking Style Profile; LNTSP) is presented and preliminarily tested across three studies with an overall sample of 778 respondents comprised of business students and managers. The results indicate that nonlinear thinking style consists of seven distinct, yet interrelated dimensions: intuition, creativity, values, imagination, flexibility, insights, and emotions. Convergent and discriminant validity estimates vis-a-vis a multidimensional creative thinking index and an emotional intelligence measure provide support for further development of the instrument. The implications of these results for future managerial cognition research are discussed, as well as potential practical applications of the LNTSP for management education and business practice.

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Understanding and Measuring Linear–NonLinear Thinking Style for Enhanced Management Education and Professional Practice

Cited by 71 publications

References 54 publications

Does Thinking Style Make a Difference in Environmental Perception and Orientation? Evidence from Entrepreneurs in Post-Sanction Iran

Does Thinking Style Make a Difference in Environmental Perception and Orientation? Evidence from Entrepreneurs in Post-Sanction Iran

Meta‐analytic Investigations of the Relation Between Intuition and Analysis

Linear and Nonlinear Thinking: A Multidimensional Model and Measure

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