Endogenous vs. Exogenous Thinking in Organisational Improvisation

The theory of Organizational Improvisation focuses on responsive processes and how understanding them provides an alternative to the idea of an opposition between “strong” (endogenous) and “weak” (exogenous) ways of thinking about processes in human action.

This dichotomy originally related to how actions are initiated and controlled and stemmed from cognitive psychology and neuroscience:

• Strong (Endogenous) Thinking is considered internally driven, meaning that actions are guided by internal plans, intentions, or goals. This type of thinking emphasizes the role of cognitive processes in determining behavior, suggesting that individuals actively construct their actions based on internal representations and decisions. In the context of attention, strong endogenous control is characterized by sustained attention that is maintained through effortful cognitive processes, which can be influenced by factors such as motivation and task relevance, and its characteristics are:
  • Being Goal-Oriented: actions are based on personal goals and intentions;
  • Involving Controlled Processing and higher cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making, and self-regulation;
  • Flexibility: it allows for adaptation to changing circumstances based on internal assessments.
• Weak (Exogenous) Thinking is externally driven, where actions are influenced by external stimuli in the environment. This perspective suggests that behavior can be automatically triggered by external cues, often bypassing conscious thought. In terms of attention, weak exogenous control refers to how individuals can be drawn to stimuli in their environment, often leading to quick shifts in focus that are not necessarily aligned with their current goals. Its characteristics are:
  • Being Stimulus-Driven: actions are initiated in response to external events or cues, often without deliberate intention;
  • Involving Automatic Processing and reflexive responses to stimuli, which can happen rapidly and unconsciously;
  • Limited Control: actions may not be easily altered by internal goals or plans once triggered by external factors.

In cognitive sciences, Daniel Kahneman expressed this concept by talking about slow and fast thinking, and the whole apparatus is rooted in Kant and his idea that humans gain knowledge of phenomena via the scientific method, acting as objective observers who formulate and test hypotheses. This involves taking an objective observer’s stance, formulating hypotheses, and testing them experimentally, and laying one’s belief in two fundamental assumptions:

1. Human action follows rationalist causality;
2. Nature follows either efficient or formative causality.

Kant described a system as a self-organizing entity where parts interact to create both themselves and the whole, developing over time in a purposive sequence from embryonic to mature stages, driven by formative causality.

Hegel argued fiercely against Kant’s dualisms and developed a notion of deeply social human processes involving the interaction of humans in responsive processes of struggling for mutual recognition as participants.

Come to San Diego, and you’ll see where I stand.