Toward a Scientific Inquiry into Superstitious Business Decision-Making

This article presents the findings of an exploratory study of the role of superstition in Chinese business decision-making. The study confirms the general perception that superstition constitutes a crucial part of business life in Chinese societies. Superstition helps Chinese businessmen cope with uncertainty by providing a sense of certainty and alleviating the anxiety associated with uncertainty. Although superstition is often regarded as irrational and unfounded, practitioners try to justify it on the grounds of superstition’s substantive validity or instrumental value. Interestingly, half-believers of superstition admit that they experience cognitive dissonance: they should not base their decisions on superstition but they do. Another important finding is that feng shui experts play their roles as expert, provocateur, legitimizer, and comforter in strategic decision-making when providing advice to their business clients.