Cognitive style and experiences of working environment in small and medium-sized enterprises

Individual differences in information processing are viewed through the concept of cognitive style. Cognitive style is displayed in various situations in working life in which the individual engages in problem solving, decision making or learning. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between personal (gender, age, level of education) and work-specific (position, field of trade, number of years of work experience in the field) variables and cognitive style. This research applies a quantitative design by using the Cognitive Style Index and a working environment index. Data were collected from 228 staff members in 100 small and medium-sized enterprises in Finland. The study replicated previous research findings in which women display a more analytical cognitive style than men. The lower the level of education, the higher the score is on the scale measuring analytic cognitive style. Regarding position in working hierarchies, the managers constituted the least analytic group in terms of cognitive style (convergent thinking with focus on detail), the workers the most analytic one. The experiences of a supportive working environment correlated positively with an intuitive cognitive style. The experiences of a prejudiced working environment correlated positively with an analytic cognitive style (divergent thinking with focus on the "big picture"). The implications for human resources management are outlined.