ArticlePDF Available

Abstract

We explore the process through which people in organizations, especially those in leadership positions, in circumstances marked by ambiguity, surprise, and conflicting values, come to, or arrive at, judgment. Briefly reviewing the (somewhat limited) literature on judgment in management studies, we conclude that its mainly rationalist orientation prevents us (scholars and practitioners alike) from properly grasping important features of the hermeneutical- developmental process involved in coming to a judgment. In particular, the role of emotions, moral agency, language use, and, especially, the selective and integrative nature of perceptual processes, are far too easily ignored. We make the case for a particular notion of judgment understood as Aristotelian "phronesis" (practical wisdom). Phronetic leaders, we argue, are people who, in their search for a way out of their difficulties, have developed a refined capacity to intuitively grasp salient features of ambiguous situations and to constitute a "landscape" of possible paths of response, while driven by the pursuit of the notion of the common good. We seek to shed light on how this is accomplished, by drawing on neo-Aristotelian, phenomenological, and Wittgensteinian philosophy.
A preview of the PDF is not available
... Complexity Intelligence denotes the ability to (1) recognise a gap between current situations and a desired state, resolve the gap and navigate the path to the desired state (Funke, 2012;Huitt,1992), (2) achieve ill-defined goals in dynamic environments that cannot be reached by routine actions (Flyvbjerg, 2006;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (3) intuitively grasp the most salient features of an ambiguous situation, and craft a path of response in order to move through them (Flyvbjerg, 2006;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (4) integrate perceptual processes, emotions, moral agency, and language to shape judgements (Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (5) synthesise "knowing why" as in scientific theory with "knowing how" as in practical skill, and "knowing what" as a goal to be realised (Nonaka & Toyama, 2007), and (6) identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options, and implement solutions (Schwab, 2016;WEF, 2018). ...
... Complexity Intelligence denotes the ability to (1) recognise a gap between current situations and a desired state, resolve the gap and navigate the path to the desired state (Funke, 2012;Huitt,1992), (2) achieve ill-defined goals in dynamic environments that cannot be reached by routine actions (Flyvbjerg, 2006;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (3) intuitively grasp the most salient features of an ambiguous situation, and craft a path of response in order to move through them (Flyvbjerg, 2006;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (4) integrate perceptual processes, emotions, moral agency, and language to shape judgements (Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (5) synthesise "knowing why" as in scientific theory with "knowing how" as in practical skill, and "knowing what" as a goal to be realised (Nonaka & Toyama, 2007), and (6) identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options, and implement solutions (Schwab, 2016;WEF, 2018). ...
... Complexity Intelligence denotes the ability to (1) recognise a gap between current situations and a desired state, resolve the gap and navigate the path to the desired state (Funke, 2012;Huitt,1992), (2) achieve ill-defined goals in dynamic environments that cannot be reached by routine actions (Flyvbjerg, 2006;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (3) intuitively grasp the most salient features of an ambiguous situation, and craft a path of response in order to move through them (Flyvbjerg, 2006;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (4) integrate perceptual processes, emotions, moral agency, and language to shape judgements (Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), (5) synthesise "knowing why" as in scientific theory with "knowing how" as in practical skill, and "knowing what" as a goal to be realised (Nonaka & Toyama, 2007), and (6) identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options, and implement solutions (Schwab, 2016;WEF, 2018). ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose of the study: The aim of the study is to develop an integrated intelligence measurement framework for top management to navigate 4IR. Leadership behaviour originates from cognitive processes, highlighting the significance of a general mental capability, involving the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience. Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative methodological approach consisted of statistical procedures. A measurement instrument was developed to operationalise the intelligences and test them empirically by means of partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings: During the SEM process, three higher-order constructs were conceptualised, each containing three elements, namely Episteme-Analytical Intelligence (Complexity Intelligence + Inquiry Intelligence + Critical Intelligence), Techne-Inventive Intelligence (Futures Intelligence + Adaptive Intelligence + Creative Intelligence), and Phronesis-Synergic Intelligence (Emotional Intelligence + Ethical Intelligence + Collaborative Intelligence). The final PLS-SEM results found the emerging model acceptable as a foundational theoretical model. Value: The scientific value is the theoretical model which adequately links the 4IR integrated intelligence taxonomy from a previous study with the cognitive disposition required by top management to effectively navigate 4IR. Managerial implications: The implications for practitioners are newly acquired insights into the context and critical issues of 4IR, and what cognitive disposition is required from a management and leadership practice perspective to effectively navigate 4IR. It further contributes to insight into the subdomains that constitute the Triarchic Cognitive Disposition Framework to serve as a tool with which to measure performance in relation to the framework. This allows for the identification of competence gaps and need-specific developmental interventions.
... It is noteworthy that this orientation provided a different starting point than philosophers, for example, who continue to debate the very merits and existence of virtues and character, whether there is any empirical evidence, and whether there is a universal set of virtues that define character (see Snow, 2020). An example of the ontological construction of common ground is the use of the term "judgment" by Crossan, Byrne, Seijts, Reno, Monzani, and Gandz (2017) to honor the theoretical underpinnings associated with the study of phronesis and practical wisdom (Aristotle, [350 BCE] 1962;Beabout, 2012;Shotter & Tsoukas, 2014), while offering a term more accessible in practice. Even still, we experience the need to help students and practitioners understand the difference between judgment in relation to passing judgment or being judgmental versus judgment in relation to being of good judgment (i.e., phronesis). ...
... OVs enhance firms' ability to reorient available operational capabilities to newer ones appropriate for the existing business climate. Therefore, firms can handle unanticipated situations by shifting ambiguity from unexplored ones (Shotter and Tsoukas, 2014). These capabilities help firms adapt to the changes caused by sudden environmental changes. ...
Article
Purpose Start-ups require a competitive advantage to integrate sustainable practices and develop organizational capabilities to thrive in dynamic business environments. However, implementation of these practices presents several ethical challenges. This study aims to quantify the influence of organizational capabilities (information technology capabilities and organizational virtues) on start-ups' competitive advantage and readiness to implement environmental, social and governance practices. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a survey design, and data were collected from 320 start-up founders and/or managers in India. The data were analyzed using Smart PLS 4.0. Findings The findings suggest that organizational capabilities, including information technology capabilities and organizational virtues, play an important role in enhancing start-ups' competitive advantage and readiness to implement sustainable practices. Dynamic capability mediates these relationships, while entrepreneurial orientation moderates the relationship between organizational virtues and dynamic capability. Practical implications This study has significant implications for organizations implementing sustainable business practices through the development and nurturance of organizational virtues and information technology capabilities. The study is also useful for leaders, managers and entrepreneurs in training and development, managing tradeoffs and maintaining important organizational capabilities to establish a balance between people’s concerns, the environment and profits. Originality/value Few studies have examined the role of organizational capabilities, sustainable business practices and competitive advantage in the context of start-ups. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship and organizational capabilities.
Article
In this article, we introduce and discuss the potential benefits of structured shadowing, a distinct pedagogy in which the action-proximity of traditional unstructured job shadowing is supplemented by carefully designed pre-, intra- and post-shadowing pedagogical support. We suggest that structured shadowing is a promising yet under-utilized and overlooked pedagogy to enrich management learning and education. Drawing on an interview-based evaluation study of several cohorts of final-year undergraduates in a UK business school, we find that structured shadowing helps students to establish meaningful connections between theory and managerial practices, better appreciate management’s complexities and dispel existing myths and preconceptions. It also allows them to reflect on the types of managers they imagine or aspire to be and helps to model management as a reflective activity. Based on our teaching experience and our results, we argue that structured shadowing offers valuable lessons for our field. It helps to address the challenges of substance, contextual understanding and reflection, which we identify as central to current management education debates. We also acknowledge that while structured shadowing is a powerful resource, it demands significant investment and potential trade-offs, and may reflect certain professional privileges.
Article
Purpose Start-ups require a competitive advantage to integrate sustainable practices and develop organizational capabilities to thrive in dynamic business environments. However, implementation of these practices presents several ethical challenges. This study aims to quantify the influence of organizational capabilities (information technology capabilities and organizational virtues) on start-ups' competitive advantage and readiness to implement environmental, social and governance practices. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a survey design, and data were collected from 320 start-up founders and/or managers in India. The data were analyzed using Smart PLS 4.0. Findings The findings suggest that organizational capabilities, including information technology capabilities and organizational virtues, play an important role in enhancing start-ups' competitive advantage and readiness to implement sustainable practices. Dynamic capability mediates these relationships, while entrepreneurial orientation moderates the relationship between organizational virtues and dynamic capability. Practical implications This study has significant implications for organizations implementing sustainable business practices through the development and nurturance of organizational virtues and information technology capabilities. The study is also useful for leaders, managers and entrepreneurs in training and development, managing tradeoffs and maintaining important organizational capabilities to establish a balance between people’s concerns, the environment and profits. Originality/value Few studies have examined the role of organizational capabilities, sustainable business practices and competitive advantage in the context of start-ups. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship and organizational capabilities.
Article
Given the high incidence of corporate scandals, we are faced with reconsidering management theory, principles and education. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we seek to show that it is necessary and possible to analyse current managerial and directive action in the light of Aristotle's ethical thought, specifically concerning phronesis (practical wisdom). The second aim is to highlight that the Platonic interpretation of phronesis as a matter of contemplative life contributes to an inadequate leadership style and ethical apathy. Furthermore, we claim that the Machiavellian interpretation of phronesis contributes to leadership based on manipulation and exclusion of morality in management. The third and final objective is to respond to these two interpretations by reviewing Aristotle's exceptional teachings on the relevance of phronesis as a special kind of wisdom in which good judgment, discernment and an adequate understanding of events for decision‐making converge. An essential claim of this paper is that Aristotle and his notion of phronesis , rather than Plato's or Machiavelli's, ought to inform contemporary debates in management scholarship and education. Aristotle's philosophical insights into practice, wisdom and more comprehensive ethics are highly relevant for public discourse in our contemporary societal context, especially for management education. Integrating phronesis into management and leadership education involves using case studies and experiential learning to teach practical wisdom and sound judgment.
Book
Maurice Merleau-Ponty was one of the most important figures in the existential and phenomenological traditions in twentieth-century Continental philosophy. Merleau-Ponty: A Guide for the Perplexed is the ideal text for students encountering Merleau-Ponty's philosophy for the first time. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, and takes the reader though the key themes in Merleau-Ponty's work, casting light on complex ideas, including - crucially - his interpretations of 'perception', 'embodiment' and 'behaviour'. Most importantly this Guide for the Perplexed offers a full and authoritative explication of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological account of human behaviour.
Book
Emotions shape the landscape of our mental and social lives. Like geological upheavals in a landscape, they mark our lives as uneven, uncertain and prone to reversal. Are they simply, as some have claimed, animal energies or impulses with no connection to our thoughts? Or are they rather suffused with intelligence and discernment, and thus a source of deep awareness and understanding? In this compelling book, Martha C. Nussbaum presents a powerful argument for treating emotions not as alien forces but as highly discriminating responses to what is of value and importance. She explores and illuminates the structure of a wide range of emotions, in particular compassion and love, showing that there can be no adequate ethical theory without an adequate theory of the emotions. This involves understanding their cultural sources, their history in infancy and childhood, and their sometimes unpredictable and disorderly operations in our daily lives.