Exploratory and Exploitative Knowledge Learning by Investment Analysts

The purpose of this study is to present and empirically examine a decision making model that incorporates explorative and exploitative learning strategies in the processing of traditional financial and new knowledge asset information in the context of investment decisions. Professional investment stock analysts from Sweden and the United States participated in this study by selecting stocks based on traditional financial and knowledge asset information. The findings indicate that the categorization and classification of different information sources can influence decision making pathways leading to analysts' decisions. That is, knowledge along with information acquisition influences a middle stage of processing, while knowledge utilization impacts decision choice. This perspective may assist organizations in strategically realizing the objectives of knowledge and information interwoven in a knowledge process model