Determinants of intuitive decision-making in management: The moderating role of affect

In this chapter, we propose a model of managerial intuitive decision making based on problem characteristics, decision characteristics, environmental factors, and individual factors. We propose also that affect moderates the intuitive decision-making process. Based on the affect infusion model (AIM), we suggest three interaction scenarios between the determinants of intuitive decision making and affect: moderate mood, high-intensity emotions, and affective feelings. We theorize that positive mood encourages the use of intuition while negative mood discourages it. We argue further that high-intensity emotions serve as a conduit to intuitive processing, but only if the decision maker focuses on the decision outcome. Conversely, we propose that high-intensity emotions can act as a barrier to intuition if the decision maker focuses on the emotion itself. Lastly, we hypothesize that managers will be more likely to use intuition in subsequent decisions if they receive affective confirmation as a result of their earlier use of intuitive decision making