IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v7y2017i3p33-d111595.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Making Sense of a Most Popular Metaphor in Management: Towards a HedgeFox Scale for Cognitive Styles

Author

Listed:
  • Timo Meynhardt

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Jahnallee 59, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
    Center for Leadership and Values in Society, University of St. Gallen, Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland)

  • Carolin Hermann

    (Center for Leadership and Values in Society, University of St. Gallen, Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland)

  • Stefan Anderer

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Jahnallee 59, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
    Center for Advanced Studies in Management, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Jahnallee 59, 04109 Leipzig, Germany)

Abstract

Research on cognitive style has gathered momentum over the past 40 years, especially with respect to learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. This investigation adapts Tetlock’s hedgehog–fox scale for German-speaking respondents through three large-scale studies (n = 17,072) and examines the influence of cognitive style on employees’ public value assessments of their employing organizations. Our data led us to propose a revised and more economical HedgeFox Scale. In contrast with Tetlock’s findings, our results provide empirical and theoretical arguments for a two-factor structure. This shift in dimensionality affects the nature of the construct and aligns hedgehog–fox research with the latest developments in cognitive style research. Our results contribute to the ongoing interest in the dimensionality of cognitive styles and support the call for a more diverse picture. Finally, we provide recommendations for individuals and organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Timo Meynhardt & Carolin Hermann & Stefan Anderer, 2017. "Making Sense of a Most Popular Metaphor in Management: Towards a HedgeFox Scale for Cognitive Styles," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:7:y:2017:i:3:p:33-:d:111595
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/7/3/33/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/7/3/33/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sebastian Raisch & Julian Birkinshaw & Gilbert Probst & Michael L. Tushman, 2009. "Organizational Ambidexterity: Balancing Exploitation and Exploration for Sustained Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 685-695, August.
    2. Rebecca LeFebvre & Volker Franke, 2013. "Culture Matters: Individualism vs. Collectivism in Conflict Decision-Making," Societies, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-19, March.
    3. Peter Gomez & Timo Meynhardt, 2012. "More Foxes in the Boardroom: Systems Thinking in Action," Springer Books, in: Stefan N. Grösser & René Zeier (ed.), Systemic Management for Intelligent Organizations, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 83-98, Springer.
    4. James P. Walsh, 1995. "Managerial and Organizational Cognition: Notes from a Trip Down Memory Lane," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 280-321, June.
    5. Tom J. M. Mom & Frans A. J. van den Bosch & Henk W. Volberda, 2009. "Understanding Variation in Managers' Ambidexterity: Investigating Direct and Interaction Effects of Formal Structural and Personal Coordination Mechanisms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 812-828, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schnellbaecher, Benedikt & Diefenbach, Ulf & Millemann, Jan, 2015. "Putting the Individual in Ambidexterity – Identifying Activities to Achieve Organisational Ambidexterity and Long-Term Survival," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2015), Kotor, Montengero, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Kotor, Montengero, 10-11 September 2015, pages 57-63, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    2. Jiewei Zu & Jianan Wang & Jun Ma, 2022. "Ambidexterity in a Rapidly Changing Environment of China: Top Management Team Decision Making and Sustained Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, March.
    3. Andreea N. Kiss & Dirk Libaers & Pamela S. Barr & Tang Wang & Miles A. Zachary, 2020. "CEO cognitive flexibility, information search, and organizational ambidexterity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(12), pages 2200-2233, December.
    4. Sunkee Lee, 2019. "Learning-by-Moving: Can Reconfiguring Spatial Proximity Between Organizational Members Promote Individual-level Exploration?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 467-488, May.
    5. Karl Aschenbrücker & Tobias Kretschmer, 2022. "Performance-based incentives and innovative activity in small firms: evidence from German manufacturing," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 11(2), pages 47-64, June.
    6. Marios Kokkodis, 2023. "Adjusting Skillset Cohesion in Online Labor Markets: Reputation Gains and Opportunity Losses," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 1245-1258, September.
    7. van Assen, Marcel F., 2020. "Empowering leadership and contextual ambidexterity – The mediating role of committed leadership for continuous improvement," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 435-449.
    8. Jensen, Are & Clausen, Tommy H., 2017. "Origins and emergence of exploration and exploitation capabilities in new technology-based firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 163-175.
    9. François Constant & Richard Calvi & Thomas Johnsen, 2020. "Managing tensions between exploitative and exploratory innovation through purchasing function ambidexterity Managing tensions between exploitative and exploratory innovation through purchasing functio," Post-Print hal-02891790, HAL.
    10. Yi Zhang & Feng Wei & Constance Van Horne, 2019. "Individual Ambidexterity And Antecedents In A Changing Context," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(03), pages 1-25, April.
    11. Kihoon Hong & Gun Jea Yu & Eunjung Hyun, 2018. "Understanding ambidexterity at the individual level: task assignment perspective," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 34-50, March.
    12. David V. Boivin & Olivier Boiral, 2022. "So Close, Yet So Far Away: Exploring the Role of Psychological Distance from Climate Change on Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    13. Yang, Yefei & Lee, Peter K.C. & Cheng, T.C. Edwin, 2017. "Leveraging selected operational improvement practices to achieve both efficiency and creativity: A multi-level study in frontline service operations," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 298-310.
    14. Schultz, Carsten & Schreyoegg, Jonas & von Reitzenstein, Constantin, 2013. "The moderating role of internal and external resources on the performance effect of multitasking: Evidence from the R&D performance of surgeons," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(8), pages 1356-1365.
    15. Jürgen Weibler & Tobias Keller, 2011. "Ambidextrie in Abhängigkeit von Führungsverantwortung und Marktwahrnehmung: Eine empirische Analyse des individuellen Arbeitsverhaltens in Unternehmen," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 155-188, March.
    16. Michelle Rogan & Marie Louise Mors, 2014. "A Network Perspective on Individual-Level Ambidexterity in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(6), pages 1860-1877, December.
    17. Varandas, Cristina & Fernandes, Cristina I. & Veiga, Pedro Mota, 2024. "Human resource management in ambidextrous organisations – A systematic literature review," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    18. Tamara Rodríguez-González & Mercedes Villanueva-Flores & Mariluz Fernández-Alles & Mirta Díaz-Fernández, 2021. "Are Spanish TTOs Prepared to Innovation in a COVID Context?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    19. Brett W. Josephson & Jean L. Johnson & Babu John Mariadoss, 2016. "Strategic marketing ambidexterity: antecedents and financial consequences," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 539-554, July.
    20. Kammerlander, Nadine & Burger, Dominik & Fust, Alexander & Fueglistaller, Urs, 2015. "Exploration and exploitation in established small and medium-sized enterprises: The effect of CEOs' regulatory focus," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 582-602.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:7:y:2017:i:3:p:33-:d:111595. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.