Superstition and decision-making: Contradiction or complement?

Abstract

Executive Overview This article discusses the relationship between superstition and business decision-making in Chinese business communities. Although superstition constitutes a crucial part of business life in Chinese societies, the management literature has been virtually silent with respect to the phenomenon of superstitious business decision-making. Through discussing the pros and cons of integrating superstition into a decision-making process, this article helps managers, whether superstitious or not, understand the phenomenon. There are two key linkages between superstition and decision-making. On the one hand, the irrationality normally associated with superstition and the supposed rationality of decision-making suggest an apparent contradiction between the two. On the other hand, superstition and decision-making may be complementary in the sense that the former can be used as a means to cope with the uncertainty associated with the latter. The complementary aspect suggests that superstition fulfil...