Unbounding the Managerial Mind: It’s Time to Abandon the Image of Managers as “Small Brains”

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-2013

Abstract

Management theory has been heavily influenced by Simon’s concept of bounded rationality, so much so that bounded rationality has become a first principle in many modern theories of management and organization. But this influence has come at a price. It has devolved into a view of managers as “small brains” myopically trapped in local environments. We take issue with small-brained management theory, and argue that the time is ripe to refashion the microfoundations of managerial cognition into a “big-brained” alternative.

Keywords

bounded rationality, cognition

Discipline

Human Resources Management | Strategic Management Policy

Research Areas

Strategy and Organisation

Publication

Journal of Management Inquiry

Volume

22

Issue

2

First Page

250

Last Page

254

ISSN

1056-4926

Identifier

10.1177/1056492613476223

Publisher

SAGE

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