A Systematic Review of the Role of Intuition and Intuitive Thinking in Management

Intuition and intuitive thinking in management refer to the ability to make quick and effective decisions, particularly in complex and uncertain conditions, without requiring a comprehensive analysis of data. This type of thinking plays a significant role in strategic and managerial decision-making processes. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the role of intuition and intuitive thinking in management. To collect sources, reputable scientific databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were reviewed for English sources, while Irandoc, the Scientific Information Database (SID), the Comprehensive Portal of Humanities, and Noor Specialized Journals Database were examined for Persian sources. The initial search included 4,564 articles, from which 116 articles meeting the inclusion criteria—written in Persian or English, indexed in reputable scientific databases, accessible in full text, and within the time frame up to October 2024—were selected for final review. The findings of this research, addressing the primary question about the role of intuition and intuitive thinking in management, are categorized into five main themes: characteristics of intuition, optimal conditions for intuition, benefits of intuition, applications of intuition, and the relationship between intuition, instinct, and insight. The results indicate that the combination of intuition and analysis is essential for effective decision-making. However, the use of intuition may lead to errors and biases, which should be carefully considered during its application.