This study explores the thinking behind decision-making when paradoxical tensions are present. The decision-making norm consists of ignoring rather than engaging with underlying paradoxical tensions. This study supports the idea that engaging with paradoxical tensions at a cognitive level is influenced by the kind of tensions involved in the decision situation. This study also points to two cognitive dimensions that decision-makers use to distinguish between types of decisions: Information Use and Contextual Focus. Finally, this study offers the possibility that a class of decisions with paradoxical tensions requiring information for cognitive exploration and a focus on external context has yet to be identified.
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