To read this content please select one of the options below:

Unfolding irrationality: how do meaningful coincidences influence management decisions?

Matteo Cristofaro (Department of Management and Law, Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Roma, Italy)

International Journal of Organizational Analysis

ISSN: 1934-8835

Article publication date: 13 May 2020

Issue publication date: 25 February 2021

784

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to answer the following research question: “How do meaningful coincidences influence management decisions?” This question has gained relevance mainly because of the increasing attention of scholars in explaining the irrational pressures that shape management decisions, which should be inevitably taken into account to discover the causative factors of firms’ performances.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiparadigm approach to theory building has been adopted, known as “metatriangulation.” This study consisted of exploring the interplay between the synchronicity concept of Jung and cognitive studies. As a result, this work proposes a conceptual framework that refers to both sensemaking and cognitive decision-making literature.

Findings

The framework proposes that the perceived certainty (or not) about the potential outcome for the well-being, coming from the occurrence of meaningful coincidences, elicits a set of positive (or negative) affective states. These states activate a series of cognitive errors that drive the assignment of a symbolic content to the coincidences, bringing different risk-oriented management decisions.

Research limitations/implications

The provided model is purely conceptual and based on the current pool of knowledge available. As much as empirical evidence will be produced, this model may need revision. This framework proposes the interpretation of meaningful coincidences not only as the output of a number of information processing biases, but also as inputs, through the elicited affect heuristic, for the occurrence of other cognitive errors that drive management decisions.

Practical implications

The explained influence of irrational forces on management decisions, also considering luck and chance, can be fruitful to avoid these behaviors or to intentionally adopt them in selected cases, e.g. when looking for attractive unexploited opportunities within markets.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first work that attempts to unveil the impact of meaningful coincidences and, more in general, of irrational forces on management decisions. Moreover, the provided framework explains how superstitious events are sometimes looked for to guide decision-making.

Keywords

Citation

Cristofaro, M. (2021), "Unfolding irrationality: how do meaningful coincidences influence management decisions?", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 301-321. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-01-2020-2010

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles