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The study of left brain/right brain effects in the human brain has been the subject of research and discussion for many years. It is generally believed that the right and left hemispheres of the brain perform different functions. The left hemisphere is better at such tasks as reading, speaking, analytical reasoning, and arithmetic. The right hemisphere is better at spatial tasks, recognizing faces, and music. Research on this phenomenon can be of particular value to the advertising industry. A number of studies have examined the impact of an advertising message on left‐ and right‐brain dominant persons. This paper reports the results of a study conducted to investigate the effects of “informational” versus “visual” appeals used in print advertisements on left‐ and right‐brain dominant individuals. The results reveal that the evaluation of the effectiveness of an advertisement is dependent upon both the appeals used and the brain dominance orientation of the respondent.

Hemisphericity in behaviour studies is the role and dominance of right bran/left brain in the human brain, each side of which has varying roles and characteristics, thereby leading to different thinking orientations in the human. A study was conducted to measure the hemisphericity orientation of construction and design engineers in a large public construction organization. We know from literature that people of different hemisphericity orientations have unlike personalities and dissimilar perspectives of specific situations. The essential characteristics of hemisphericity as established in literature are presented and used in analysing the organization. From this study of engineers, it was seen that construction engineers in the organization, State Department of Engineering Construction (SDEC), are predominantly left‐brained while design engineers are predominantly right‐brained. This difference in orientation partially explains why the design and construction engineers at SDEC are unable to see eye‐to‐eye in issues concerning implementation of drawings. Left hemisphere dominant engineers are also seen to desire more organizational changes than their right hemisphere dominant counterparts. Ideally, researchers believe that a 50–50 distribution of hemisphericities in large organizations is desirable. Details, analysis, and recommendations are presented in the paper.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare various theoretical models of decision making such as classical rational decision making, left‐brain/right‐brain dominance decision making, utilization of tacit knowledge in decision making, utilization of intuition in decision making, utilization of emotional intelligence in decision making, a systems approach to decision making, and spirit‐based decision making.

Studies on different modalities of decision making are reviewed, discussed, and compared.

The traditional assumption of the optimality of rational decision making may be improved by including other dimensions of decision making. It is posited that organizations that encourage and support multi‐dimensional decision making, which utilizes the rational, intuitional, emotional and spiritual aspects of the whole person, develop better management–employee relations, more creative problem solving, and better market place performance.

Development and testing of instruments that measure multi‐dimensional decision making would extend the scope of this study.

This paper compares different styles of decision making to assist the manager in making optimal decisions. By expanding on the traditional rational decision making model to include other dimensions of decision‐making, managers are able to capture additional information in framing their decisions.

Presents an overview of studies of the brain revealing that the cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres along with emergent implications for teaching the two‐sided mind and career selection in an experiential exercise format. The exercise follows a heuristic pattern of user‐friendly self‐discovery allowing participants to compare their actual thinking and problem‐solving behaviour with their professed attitudes in terms of left, right, and mixed brain patterns. For participants the exercise helps to: identify styles along with factors affecting attitudes and behaviour; increase understanding of the relationship and complexity between attitudes and behaviour; and to become more aware of their own attitudes and behaviour in career choice, training, and diverse situations. For career planning, instructional design and training managers the instrumented feedback design provides a tool for educational research and a conceptual analytic framework for recognizing the contingent complexity and feasibility issues involved in successful implementation of career and diversity training management.

This paper aims to enable the reader to understand: Herrmann's whole‐brained thinking model and its impact on language and difference; trends in development and the need for team‐based whole‐brained learning; why most culture change initiatives fail; what constitutes a core competence; and how a whole‐brained approach is required to ensure culture change, strategy development and the implementation of core competencies.

The four thinking preferences are explained and examples provided of the use of different language for each of the four quadrants of the brain. The trends in development from left‐brained to right‐brained are set out and an example provided of how whole‐brained learning is most effective. Five generic reasons for the failure of culture change initiatives are set out. The core competence of the corporation is explained as well as how it was vital to success that each quadrant of the brain, i.e. the whole brain, is applied in an integrated way to achieve effective implementation.

There is a direct link between organisational profitability and culture. A whole‐brained approach to the implementation of strategy, culture change and people development is required.

Develops an understanding of the nature of our thinking preferences and how to apply an integrated whole‐brained approach to the successful development and implementation of strategy, culture change and core competences, thereby gaining a long‐term sustainable competitive edge in the market‐place.

How do decision styles differ from leadership or management styles? This question is addressed by considering situational variables, the decision process itself and a variety of decision style models. The authors conclude that the decision style approach has many applications and is a highly effective management tool.

Why is it that when you present a report to some managers, they read it through in great detail whilst others scarcely read it at all?

What does the future have in store for our organization and for us? Will it be good, bad, indifferent? Will we plan effectively, make the right managerial decisions and live happily ever after? Or will we be undercut or wiped out by the twin monsters “tion” and “sion”—competition, regulation, inflation, recession, pollution, or atomic explosion?

The use of the Decision Styles Inventory (DSI) is described in two different organisational development contexts. The first was at the organisational level, while the second was at the individual level. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the DSI as an organisational and personal development tool.

Makes suggestions on ways to integrate conventional time management wisdom with results of research on how individuals process information in order to enable effective use of time in practice.