INTUITION AND ANALYSIS AT WORK The Role of Cognitive Style in Experiences of Work Contexts

In agreement with the principles of the learning organization and lifelong learning, it should be in the interests of organizations not only to make an effort to keep knowledge within them, but also to facilitate the sharing of that knowledge among colleagues. The aim of the study is to gain a more thorough understanding of the role of cognitive style, that is, individual differences in information processing, in work contexts in order for that knowledge to be utilized to improve the development of human resources. The study focuses on whether and how intuitive and analytic cognitive style are related to the experiencing of intuitive and analytic demands of the work environment as well as to different types of sources of job satisfaction/dissatisfaction. In addition to the cognitive variables, the role of demographic and individual variables (age, gender, education and work experience), and organizational variables (field of trade, position, job tenure), are investigated. Sociocultural theory directs attention towards the meaning of context and culture. In order to understand the contextual dimension in which individual and organizational factors interact, organizational climate has been investigated. Data were collected from 228 managers, employees and workers in small and medium sized enterprises in the service sector and production industry. The inventories used were Finnish translations of the Cognitive Style Index (CSI) (Allinson & Hayes, 1996) and the Academic Environment Index (AEI) (Sadler-Smith, 1997). A revised response mode and scoring system was employed in order to allow the testing of a possible two-dimensional, unipolar construct of cognitive style. Analysis and intuition were treated as separate scales. Perceptions of organizational climate were investigated using a set of variables by Forss and Karisalmi (1997). Data on sources of job satisfaction/dissatisfaction were collected through two openended interview questions. These qualitative data were analyzed and categorized through a grounded theory type procedure. Two overarching categories of sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction emerged: 1) intrinsic-content based sources, and 2) extrinsic-context based sources. Each subject was given a categorical code for further statistical analyses. The category indicates what combinations of intrinsic and extrinsic sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction dominate for the individual. Further analyses include exploratory factor analyses and univariate General Linear Models procedures with Tests of Between-Subjects Effects. Effect sizes were computed to determine the magnitude of the observed effects. Two factors representing intuitive and analytic cognitive style dimensions emerged supporting a two-dimensional, unipolar construct. A similar construct is supported through the perspectives of the cognitive demands of the work environment. Analytic cognitive style correlated positively with analytic cognitive demands of the work environment, but negatively with intuitive cognitive demands of the work environment. Intuitive cognitive style correlated positively with both intuitive and analytic demands of the work environment. Significant relationships between cognitive style and the individual and organizational variables emerged. Women scored in general higher on the analytic scale. The stereotypic assumption that women are more intuitive than men is challenged by most studies conducted using the CSI, including this one. Gender difference may be due to the fact that men rely more on their sense of expertise, whereas women may find factual evidence and systematic analysis necessary in order to justify their case. In general, the younger age groups were less analytic than the older ones raising the question to what extent analytic style is an expression of expert thinking and intuitive style an expression of novice thinking. Analytic style is related to higher age and longer work experience. Then again, the lower the level of education, the higher the analytic score. A higher level of education may develop intuitive style skills, but in essence, the question appears to boil down to a matter of cognitive confidence and self-confidence. Respondents in managerial positions scored lower on the analytic scale than other groups of employees and workers, supporting the hypothesis that education develops intuitive style skills, and that intuitive information-processing may to a certain extent be a manifestation of confidence. Despite the tendency to intuitive cognitive style, the managers experienced the environment to demand more analytic information-processing than did other groups of staff. This result supports the idea that intuition is an important basis for grasping the overall context, but when specific decision-making is required, analytic cognitive style dominates. Field of trade was not related to cognitive style, but significantly so to the experience of the cognitive demands of the work environment. Respondents in production industry experienced the cognitive demands to be more intuitive than the respondents in the service sector. The result is slightly surprising in light of what we know of the nature of the jobs in the service sector. The result may be due to the fact that intuitive information processing is not conceived of as a particular demand of the work. Rather, it is something inherent in the work itself. Two organizational climate factors emerged, a supportive and a prejudiced climate factor. Prejudiced climate correlated positively with analytic cognitive style. This indicates that intuitives may, in fact, be more sensitive to organizational climate, and work more actively to keep it positive and supportive. No unambiguous relationship between cognitive style and sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction emerged. Despite the nature of the cognitive style or the cognitive demands of the work environment, be they analytic or intuitive, both extrinsic and intrinsic elements constitute sources job satisfaction and dissatisfaction as well. Yet for those with a higher level of education intrinsic sources of job satisfaction tended to dominate over extrinsic sources, plausibly as a result of more variable, independent and innovative tasks requiring higher levels of education. Such tasks become in themselves sources of job satisfaction. In routine tasks, on the other hand, which do not provide the worker meaningful and developing doings, the person turns to find his or her sources of job satisfaction in factors external to the task itself. The search for job satisfaction appears to be an active endeavor induced by the person himor herself. Realizing satisfaction in one’s job is the right of all employees and workers. It should be taken into consideration that sources of job satisfaction vary, take on different norms, and imply different meanings for people. In addition to a cost/benefit perspective there is the humane value that should not be overlooked.