Coming into the Country: A WISE Perspective on Cognitive Research Robert J. Kauffman Professor and...

Coming into the Country:A WISE Perspective on

Cognitive Research

Robert J. KauffmanProfessor and Director, MISRC

2003 Cognitive Research Exchange (CORE)

Information and Decision SciencesCarlson School of Management

University of Minnesota

December 14, 2003

Copyright © 2003 Robert J. Kauffman 2

Discussion Questions

How does cognitive researchers’ work fit in the business school context?

What can you learn from your competition? organizations, strategy, economics, technology

How to integrate your teaching and research?

How to position your research for appeal?


B-School Contexts: Challenges

Reference disciplines treat key contexts formanagerial inquiry

Business processes, firms, markets, economiesPeople, work groups, organizations, communitiesApplications, systems, networks, standardsInformation, environments, decisions, efficacy

For you to hook up: Find settings where cognition issues prominentSolve problems with complimentary theory


Learning from the Competition

Economics already present in many b-schools (MIT, NYU, Carnegie, Rochester, Stanford)

Central problem was leveraging existing thinking that was highly influential, not makingideas from a different discipline relevant

Emphasis on support for production of high quality research; theory imported piecemeal,as different problems became relevant


Positioning Your Research

Positioning isn’t forced …

Problems come first; solutions come nextYour projects need to express strong relevance

They need to be motivated by real issues

Identify problems that are compelling as “b-school research”

Build on the academic literature, but don’t make that the primary purpose


Sample Content Areas

IT investments; gauging decision maker perceptions of variance in uncertain cost and value streams; real option

Cost estimation in software projects

Medical diagnosis, information use, efficacy

E-auctions: perceptions of winner’s curse, individual bid responses in mercantileexchange, e-bidding, group-buying

Forecasting, revenue yield mgmt, strat pricing


Pragmatic Suggestions

Find an academic partner for allied theory

Find a corporate partner to ensure high managerial relevance

Conduct your work with real systems

Recognize the tradeoff in selection of quasi-and fully experimental research designs

Figure out how to leverage the Internet for new revolutionary strategies in your work


Teaching and Research

Teaching content needs to follow demand for managerial knowledge

Problems and contexts:Managerial decision making, decision technologies

IT investment evaluation, technology forecasting

Systems design, OO analysis, software costs

Cognitive processes in planning, strategy formation, business problem assessment with IT

Teach to the mission, not to the theory


Questions or Comments

Coming into the Country: A WISE Perspective on Cognitive Research Robert J. Kauffman Professor and...

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