Analytical thoroughness: How can hyperdominance lead to analysis paralysis and decision deferral?
Research on decision avoidance, choice overload and information overload supports the pattern. Field studies that link thoroughness in managers causally to deferral are still rare.

Analytical thoroughness: How does it relate to competence hyperdominance?
Analytical thoroughness is a fundamentally valuable competence. Overused, it can turn into analysis paralysis and decision deferral. Competence hyperdominance can lead to avoidance behaviour, and research describes decision avoidance as its own pattern (Anderson 2003).

Analytical thoroughness: What does research support?
- Decision avoidance, such as deferral, sticking to the status quo and omission, is a well-described pattern with reasons in regret and responsibility aversion (Anderson 2003).
- A meta-analysis on choice overload shows that complexity, uncertainty and the goal of easing the decision increase deferral (Chernev et al. 2015).
- Information overload in organisations slows decisions and lowers their quality (Eppler and Mengis 2004; Roetzel 2019; Arnold et al. 2023).
- Fast and high-quality strategic decisions are possible: more analysis does not automatically mean better decisions (Eisenhardt 1989).
Analytical thoroughness: What remains open?
- The effects of choice overload depend on the task, complexity and goals.
- Direct field studies on thoroughness, deferral and outcomes in management are rare, and quantitative tipping points are missing.
Checking analytical thoroughness with a detailed prompt
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Analytical thoroughness: Which sources does this page rely on?
- Anderson, C. J. (2003). The psychology of doing nothing: Forms of decision avoidance result from reason and emotion. Psychological Bulletin. psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.129.1.139
- Chernev, A., Böckenholt, U., Goodman, J. (2015). Choice overload: A conceptual review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consumer Psychology. myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.jcps.2014.08.002
- Eppler, M. J., Mengis, J. (2004). The Concept of Information Overload: A Review of Literature from Organization Science, Accounting, Marketing, MIS, and Related Disciplines. The Information Society. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01972240490507974
- Roetzel, P. G. (2019). Information overload in the information age: a review of the literature from business administration, business psychology, and related disciplines. Business Research. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40685-018-0069-z
- Arnold, M., Goldschmitt, M., Rigotti, T. (2023). Dealing with information overload: a comprehensive review. Frontiers in Psychology. www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1122200/full
- Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Making Fast Strategic Decisions in High-Velocity Environments. Academy of Management Journal. journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/256434
Analytical thoroughness: How do you check this page against its sources?
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