Intuitive Investment Decision-Making Across Cultures

This chapter discusses intuitive decision-making across cultures and outlines a major theoretical framework in cultural psychology that has significant implications for intuitive thinking. The chapter presents some empirical evidence showing cultural differences in intuitive investment decision-making. It offers a conceptual framework reflecting cultural and cross-cultural dimensions, which provide bases for practical recommendations and potential directions for future inquiry into this vital aspect of managerial cognition and decision-making behaviour. Culture shapes people’s thinking styles. Cultural psychological research has presented plenty of evidence showing cultural differences in holistic vs. analytic thinking. Holistic thinking and intuitive thinking also converge in their attention to contextual information. Sensitivity to context is a key feature in holistic thinking. Intuitive decision-making may also hinge on contextual factors. Likewise, as activation in a holistic system is negatively correlated with activation in an analytic system, it may lead to the conclusion that Chinese thinkers could be more flexible in their use of analytical thinking as well.