Assessing managerial decisions using the dual systems theory of reasoning: Future challenges for management researchers

We focus on likely challenges that will be encountered by field researchers investigating managerial decision-making using theoretical frameworks based on the dual systems of reasoning. This decision-making theoretical framework is currently the subject of theory building research in the management literature (e.g. Dane & Pratt, 2007). Future field studies investigating how dual systems of reasoning affect consequential decisions made by entrepreneurs and managers in actual business settings are necessary for further development of this theory. Major issues that challenge the field researcher include choosing the decision or decisions to investigate, deciding on how to operationalize the criterion variable, consideration of alternate normative outcomes resulting from multiple legitimate goals of the decision-maker, the choice between measurements of the decision process or decision outcomes and choosing among possible operationalizations of predictor variables already shown to be significant factors in determining the extent logic-based reasoning is used in decision-making. We offer suggestions for dealing with many of these challenges and other issues in conducting field research investigating dual process theories.