Intuition in the Decision Making Process of Leaders and Managers

Dr. Olajumoke (Jumi) Familoni

51 Bourdillon Road Ikoyi, Lagos Nigeria.

Lagos Business School, Pan African University, Lagos, Nigeria; Africa

The primary objective of this study was to develop an understanding of the role of intuition, a so-called “hidden intelligence,” in the decision-making styles of leaders, using Nigeria and the United States as models of study. The study was undertaken to determine if there is a relationship between a leader’s use of intuition and leadership style, business culture, and place of origin. The sample population for research in the United States was the National Minority Development Supplier Council, an organization that builds business partnerships among minority business suppliers and major corporate organizations. This organization was selected because of the diverse population of its members; it is comprised of 15,000 minority organizations and 3,500 corporate organizations. In Nigeria, the Fate Foundation, an organization that trains and develops leaders and business people in leadership and business skills, was sampled. Subjects of the study were 60 leaders randomly selected from these organizations. Tests of regression and t-tests were employed to see if differences were significant among the groups and if relationships existed among the variables. Agor’s Intuitive Measurement (AIM) was used to test for the degree of intuition leaders’ used in decision making. The Integrated Cultural Framework Survey was used to test the business culture, and the Leadership Style Survey was used to test the leadership style.

The statistical outcome showed no significant relationship between intuition and business culture among leaders in the United States. Additionally, in terms of leadership style, there was no significant relationship between leaders’ intuition and leadership style. In terms of place of origin, there was no statistical significance in the mean differences between intuition use by Nigerian and United States leaders. However, both groups showed a high use of intuition in decision making. This result suggests the need for business schools to offer more course work and practical application of intuition.