Exploring the Lived Meaning of Decision Fatigue in Managerial Leadership

Abstract

Managerial decision-making has increasingly become a complex and emotionally demanding process within modern organizational environments, where constant cognitive engagement often leads to psychological exhaustion known as decision fatigue. Within management and leadership studies, little is known about how managers experience and interpret this phenomenon as part of their professional and existential realities. The current research addresses this gap by asking: How do managers make sense of decision fatigue in their leadership roles, and what meanings emerge from their lived experiences? Using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), this study explores the subjective dimensions of decision fatigue through in-depth interviews with twelve mid- to senior-level managers from diverse organizational backgrounds. Data analysis followed a structured IPA procedure, including initial coding, development of emergent themes, identification of thematic clusters, and cross-case interpretative synthesis. The findings reveal that decision fatigue extends beyond cognitive depletion, manifesting as an emotional and existential process that compels managers to confront their vulnerability, reflect on their authenticity, and reconstruct their leadership identity. Through this transformation, managers develop deeper self-awareness and moral clarity, reshaping their understanding of effective leadership as a human-centered, meaning-driven practice. These insights enrich current theories of managerial behavior and leadership psychology by emphasizing the phenomenological essence of decision-making. The study offers practical implications for fostering reflective and empathetic leadership cultures that support psychological well-being and sustainable organizational performance.