What is it about?
The study explores how decision-making styles—specifically intuition versus deliberation—differ between employees in the public and private sectors. It investigates whether these preferences are shaped by institutional environments and how they relate to the concept of "virtuous practice" in public administration. Key Concepts Intuition: Fast, emotion-driven, automatic thinking. Deliberation: Slow, rational, effortful thinking. Virtuous Practice: Ethical and wise decision-making, especially relevant in public service roles. Public vs. Private Sector Differences Public sector employees tend to favor deliberative thinking, aligning with norms of transparency and accountability. Private sector employees show a stronger inclination toward intuitive thinking, possibly due to competitive and fast-paced environments. These preferences are not just personal quirks—they're shaped by institutional structures, social norms, and organizational cultures. Methodology Surveyed 1,779 respondents from North America (n=247) and the European Union (n=1,532). Measured individual preferences for intuitive and deliberative thinking styles. Analyzed how these preferences correlate with sector affiliation and cultural context. Findings There are statistically significant differences between public and private sector employees in their thinking styles. These differences suggest that institutional context influences cognitive habits, which in turn affect ethical decision-making. The study supports the idea that virtue in administration is not just a personal trait—it’s cultivated through organizational and cultural conditioning.
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Why is it important?
This research bridges behavioral science and public administration, offering insights into how to foster ethical decision-making in different sectors. It also contributes to the broader discourse on how institutions shape human cognition and behavior.
Perspectives
Fascinating to learn about virtue ethics and how these things, we aspire (virtue) from a philosophical standpoint, take shape in our mind‘s preferences, our usual ways of approaching ourselves and our Environment
Frithiof Svenson
Carl von Ossietzky Universitat Oldenburg
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Before Virtuous Practice. Public and Private Sector-Specific Preferences for Intuition and Deliberation in Decision-Making, Public Integrity, July 2022, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/10999922.2022.2068900.
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Resources
The intuitive executive
Even though the conditions under which executives operate may sometimes limit or even preclude the use of rational analysis, it is nevertheless the norm in many organizational decision processes. Intuition, on the other hand, is often considered to be the antithesis of this approach and is usually overlooked or disregarded in decision-making. However, in recent years there has been resurgence of interest in intuition, perhaps because of some dissatisfaction with rationality and its limits and also because some psychologists are now arguing that much of cognition occurs automatically outside of consciousness and in the realm of intuition.
Intuitive expertise: Theories and empirical evidence
Summary of Intuition when based on expertise
Different types of Intuition in the workplace
An integrated review of all the different types of Intuition people use at work
Contributors
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