Emotion must be part of a new wave of strategy tools

The WBS website uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, we will assume that you consent to the use of cookies in line with our cookie policy. Management and strategy tools are ignoring vital part of decision-making A new wave of tools needed to include emotion for strategic decisions Neuroscience finds emotion plays a crucial role in making decisions New tool devised from psychology to use for business strategy Evidence from neuroscience shows business managers are living a 'rationality façade' by using strategy tools and are missing a key ingredient in decision-making - emotion. Gerard Hodgkinson, of Warwick Business School, says there is a pressing need for management to acknowledge the role of emotions and incorporate it into their strategic thinking if businesses' performances are to be improved. Drawing on the insights of behavioural neuroscience in Emotionalizing strategy research with the repertory grid technique: Modifications and extensions to a robust procedure for mapping strategic knowledge , published in Advances in Strategic Management , Professor Hodgkinson, Robert Wright, of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Jamie Anderson, of Warwick Business School, found emotion played a part in managers' decision-making despite their attempts to use cold logic in making strategic decisions. Related article: Shakespeare inspiring the next generation of business leaders . The majority of tools and techniques used to help managers reflect strategically on the future of their businesses require them to think on a systematic basis to identify opportunities and threats before coming to a decision.