Towards integrated management decisions

Recent textbook models for management decisions and our orientation of management education are still based on a reductionist, isolationist and linear paradigm. This paper, for stimulating a perception shift, introduces a systems‐based approach. Drawing on a reconstruction of ancient Eastern wisdom, mainly Confucianism, the approach intends to integrate wuli (material‐technical), shili (psycho‐cognitive) and renli (social‐political) elements, perspectives and patterns into a differentiated/interconnected whole, as the context, content and process of management decision. Decision making conducted as such may have the potential to facilitate complementary synergy among goal‐seeking, cognitive‐learning and relationship‐maintaining approaches to management decision/education.