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

Carsten Bergenholtz; Oana Vuculescu; Ali Amidi

doi:10.1287/orsc.2023.1654

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

Carsten Bergenholtz^*, Oana Vuculescu, Ali Amidi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

17 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Organization Science
Volume	34
Issue	6
Pages (from-to)	2043-2063
Number of pages	21
ISSN	1047-7039
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1654
Publication status	Published - Nov 2023

Keywords

cognitive antecedents
complexity
microfoundations
problem-solving
search

Access to Document

10.1287/orsc.2023.1654

Bergenholtz_2023_Microfoundations_of_adaptive_searchAccepted manuscript, 1.75 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{89671ab2423d4caf9f898c503c38e5e3,

title = "Microfoundations of Adaptive Search in Complex Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Abilities and Styles",

abstract = "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{\textquoteright} 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{\textquoteright} 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.",

keywords = "cognitive antecedents, complexity, microfoundations, problem-solving, search",

author = "Carsten Bergenholtz and Oana Vuculescu and Ali Amidi",

year = "2023",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1287/orsc.2023.1654",

language = "English",

volume = "34",

pages = "2043--2063",

journal = "Organization Science",

issn = "1047-7039",

publisher = "INFORMS Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences",

number = "6",

}

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 -

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

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this