Microfoundations of Adaptive Search in Complex Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Abilities and Styles

TY - JOUR

T1 - Microfoundations of Adaptive Search in Complex Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Abilities and Styles

AU - Bergenholtz, Carsten

AU - Vuculescu, Oana

AU - Amidi , Ali

PY - 2023/11

Y1 - 2023/11

N2 - Problem-solving in complex environments requires a cognitively demanding search for task solutions. Managing this search process presents a major challenge in organizations. We contribute to the literature on this topic by providing new evidence on the cognitive antecedents that shape how individuals search when engaged in complex problem-solving tasks. We present results from three laboratory studies, wherein 335 individuals solved a complex task. In doing so, they generated behavioral data coupled with survey-based measurements of the individuals’ cognitive styles and performance-based tests of their cognitive abilities. Our data analysis contributes to the current literature by documenting systematic heterogeneity in the persistence and distance of search that can be explained by the participants’ level of creativity, attention to detail, and executive functions. We extend the research on the microfoundations of adaptive search by linking cognitive antecedents with a complex search task, widening our insight into what search behavior certain cognitive microfoundations lead to, and showing how managers can more effectively shape organizational search.

AB - Problem-solving in complex environments requires a cognitively demanding search for task solutions. Managing this search process presents a major challenge in organizations. We contribute to the literature on this topic by providing new evidence on the cognitive antecedents that shape how individuals search when engaged in complex problem-solving tasks. We present results from three laboratory studies, wherein 335 individuals solved a complex task. In doing so, they generated behavioral data coupled with survey-based measurements of the individuals’ cognitive styles and performance-based tests of their cognitive abilities. Our data analysis contributes to the current literature by documenting systematic heterogeneity in the persistence and distance of search that can be explained by the participants’ level of creativity, attention to detail, and executive functions. We extend the research on the microfoundations of adaptive search by linking cognitive antecedents with a complex search task, widening our insight into what search behavior certain cognitive microfoundations lead to, and showing how managers can more effectively shape organizational search.

KW - cognitive antecedents

KW - complexity

KW - microfoundations

KW - problem-solving

KW - search

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85181039438&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1287/orsc.2023.1654

DO - 10.1287/orsc.2023.1654

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1047-7039

VL - 34

SP - 2043

EP - 2063

JO - Organization Science

JF - Organization Science

IS - 6

ER -