~1~

CONGRUENCY MODEL
TOOLKIT FOR ASSESSING INFORMATION PROCESSING CAPABILITY
Context
 Solving business problems require use of an appropriate level of information processing capability.
 Two key elements of information processing are:
o Increasing Complexity – type of reasoning ability required to solve the problem
o Time Orientation – how far out (in terms of years) a task/problem it takes to the point of planning and realization
 Information processing capability is the raw mental power (not to be confused with IQ or EQ) required to solve problems with increasing complexity and time
orientation.
 We will be using “Complexity” to understand the Levels of Information Processing.

Guidelines for Assessment

In order to recognize and assess various types of information processing, keep the following in perspective:
 Pay attention to the pattern of the reasoning (argument) and not whether it is a good or a bad argument.
 Observe whether the response is Plain or Serial.
 If it is Plain,
o Is it simply a Declarative – Unrelated Reasoning? or
o Is the reasoning Accumulated and Explicitly Related to Each Other?
 If it is Plain and Unrelated, then it is Level 1
 If it is Plain and Cumulative, then it is Level 2
 If it is Serial,
o Is it composed of One or More Unconnected Series? or
o Is it composed of number of such Series Connected with Each Other with References Back and Forth?
 If it is Unconnected, then it is Level 3
 If it is Connected, then it is Level 4
SERIAL/ SERIAL/
UNCONNECTED CONNECTED

PLAIN/ PLAIN/
UNCONNECTED UNCONNECTED

Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019

Levels of Information
Processing Capability
Level 1: Declarative Processing
(Plain & Unrelated)
Using discrete, unrelated, and
multiple reasoning alone or taken
together does not solve the
problem [or/or]
Questions
1. Can you tell me what you think
about globalization and its impact
on us?
2. The issue is, if countries don’t
embrace globalization, they will
lose out to other countries that
adapt to globalization and grow
their economies.
~2~
Response Evidence
I am not sure it is a good thing. The company that I worked Observe the unrelated reasons,
closed down with all of us losing our jobs. We are doing jobs as whether alone or taken
fast food workers. together is not addressing the
complete picture of
globalization.
In a business setting, a
customer service
representative will respond to a
customer issue by reviewing
True, but globalization is still not good. It is making China to flood the issue in relation to the
us with cheap goods. policy/guideline using or/or.
Declarative Processing
(Plain & Unrelated)
Company Closing Down, Loss
of Jobs, China Flooding the
Market with Cheap Goods.
Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019

Levels of Information
Processing Capability
Level 2: Cumulative or Diagnostic
Processing (Plain & Related)
Using discrete, related and multiple
reasoning while taken together
solves the problem [and/and;
because]
Questions
1. Can you tell me what you think
about globalization and its impact
on us?
2. How does globalization affect
various aspects of our society?
~3~
Response Evidence
Globalization is affecting us positively and negatively on a daily Observe the sequencing of
basis. On the positive side, prices for consumables that we buy multiple, related and discrete
have remained low. This has also made US companies to reasoning, outlining positive
expand operations globally creating jobs, though not locally. On and negative impact. Taken
the negative side, many companies with manufacturing together they form a diagnostic
operations have either closed down or moved their operations to processing.
China resulting in job losses in well-paying manufacturing sector.
Many of the employees are now working in low paying jobs in the GLOBALIZATION & ECONOMY
service industry like hospitality, health care, etc. Prices for Consumables
Remain Low (and), Global
Expansion of US
Companies(and), Closing
Down of Manufacturing
Operations in the US(and), Job
Losses of Good Paying
Jobs(and), Shift to Low Pay
Service Sector Jobs (and)
Well, globalization is impacting the economic, social and cultural GLOBALIZATION & ECONOMY
fabric of our society both positively and negatively. For example, Growth & Expansion (and),
the global economy has expanded increasing the size of the Increasing Share of the US
global economy and share of US business growing significantly. Business (and), Stock Market
This has fueled stock market boom generating global wealth Boom (and), Wealth Creation
creation. However, the wealth creation has not benefited the (and), Benefiting Upper Half,
lower half of the population since they don’t participate in stock Not Benefiting Lower Half (and)
markets as individual investors, unlike the upper half of the
population. In the business setting, first line
managers typically use this
reasoning to find “cause and
effect” to diagnose the problem
and find answers/solutions &
offer preventive measure for
the future.
Cumulative Processing
(Plain & Related)
Globalization & Economy
Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019

Levels of Information
Processing Capability
1.
Level 3: Serial or Contingent
Processing (Serial & Unconnected)
Using a sequence of reasons,
each of the sequence leading to
the next (related and multiple),
creating a chain of linked reasons
to solve the problem
[chains of cause and effect; if/then)
Questions
Can you tell me what you think
about globalization and its impact
on us?
~4~
Response Evidence
Globalization has affected us, impacting the psychological, “if-then” reasoning:
social, cultural, technological, environmental, political and Intended Consequences
communal aspects of the world. As with any major NAFTA
transformation, there are intended and unintended
consequences which need to be recognized and managed Single Markets, Mutual Access,
properly with course corrections. Taking an example of the US Facilitate Commerce (if)
trade agreement, NAFTA, signed in 1990’s with Mexico and
Canada, this has benefited all the three countries immensely ECONOMY
from economic, political and environmental aspects. If the impact Free Movement of Skilled
is creation of Single Markets, Mutual Access, and Ease of Workforce, Tight Integration of
Commerce, then, there are benefits of a free movement of skilled Supply Chain, Reduced Cycle
workforce, tight integration of supply chain, reduced cycle times, Times, Improved Productivity,
improvements to productivity, reduced migration of illegal Reduced illegal immigrants
immigrants from Mexico and a balanced trade deficit with from Mexico, a Balanced Trade
Canada due to increased service sector exports from the US. Deficit with Canada due to
Then, there are also unintended consequences triggered such as Increased Service Sector
lack of wage growth for the working class, migration of Exports from the US (then)
manufacturing to Mexico and Canada reducing US
manufacturing. Unintended Consequences
Lack of Wage Growth (US),
Migration of Manufacturing to
Mexico and Canada, Reduced
Footprint of US Manufacturing
(then)
Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019

Levels of Information
Processing Capability
1.
Level 3: Serial or Contingent
(Continuation)
Questions
Taking one aspect from the above
(psychological, social, cultural,
technological, environmental,
political and communal) discuss
the positive, negative and neutral
impact on us now and in the
future.
~5~
Response Evidence
Let’s take technology, the biggest enabler of transformation. “if-then” reasoning
Technology innovations from various countries have unleashed a Technology Innovation
velocity of change unknown to us prior to 1990s. Take for
example, the internet, which connected us and enabled instant Internet (if)
and seamless communication. As a result of this, people across
the world are able to access, understand and share information Instant & Seamless
instantaneously (at least at a fast pace). Web 2.0 and digital Communication, Ease of
innovation, built on the internet, has enabled transaction and Transaction & eCommerce,
eCommerce with people being able to buy and sell products and Developing Countries’
services across the world easily. As a consequence of this Educated & Skilled Workforce
development, educated and skilled technology workers in have become Competitors to
markets like India, China and some of the English speaking Workers of Developed
countries like Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, have Countries, Social Media,
become real competitors to skilled technology workers in the US Heightened Aspirations for
(and Canada). Further development of technology in the social Improved Living, Freedom of
media context (Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) has heightened Expression in Developing
the awareness of people in developing countries triggering Countries, Revolution,
revolutions in some instances (Tunisia, Egypt, Syria) with many Democratization, (then)
of them overthrowing autocratic regimes and in the process of
becoming full-fledged democracies. This has a direct bearing on Serial Processing
increasing aspirations of people living in those countries after (Serial & Unconnected)
tasting freedom of expression to expect a better life for them and Globalization, Trade, Economy,
their children. Politics, Technology, Culture
Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019

Levels of Information
Processing Capability
1.
Level 4: Parallel Processing
(Serial & Connected)
Using multiple serial processing
reasoning with each chain of
linked reasons but also the
conditions that increase/improves
the probability of problem
solving [if/then in clusters)
Questions
Can you tell me what you think
about globalization and its impact
on a daily basis?
~6~
Response Evidence
Globalization, like any other major transformation, has left Check the context setting
permanent changes in the world and likely impact on the parts of before the reasoning. Outlines
our universe/galaxy that I would like to touch upon, as part of my key elements of globalization
analysis of the impact on our daily life now and in the future. and how they affect each other
as well as drive globalization..
By way of context that I would like to set, there are intended and
unintended consequences impacting the psychological, social, First “if-then” reasoning:
cultural, technological, environmental, political and communal (Intended Consequences)
aspects of the world due to globalization. I see globalization as Trade Agreements (if)
an outcome triggered by a number of actions taken by countries
to benefit them. Single Markets, Mutual
Access, Facilitate Commerce
For example, bilateral and multilateral trade agreements between (then)
countries have led to single markets with mechanisms to conduct
trade and commerce easier; treaties focusing on defense ECONOMY
(NATO), creation of bodies like IMF, World Bank, WTO to Increased Size of the Pie,
regulate trade and economies; and creation of United Nations to Utilization of Complementary
maintain worldwide peace and security, develop relations among Skills and Expertise,
nations and foster cooperation between nations in order to solve Strong Economic Growth,
economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian international Low Inflation, Increased
problems. Any transformation, or change initiated proactively, Consumption,
require proper management with course corrections. I want to go (then)
deeper into one or two aspects.
Second “if-then” reasoning
Taking trade agreements, some of the intended consequences POLITICS
are improved access to each other’s markets, increasing the size Treaties (if)
of the pie by speeding economic growth, utilization of skills and
expertise of countries in a complementary manner (China,
IMF, World Bank, WTO (then)
Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia for manufacturing; India,
Philippines, Singapore, Eastern European countries for
technology and services; resource rich countries like the Middle United Nations, NATO (then)
East, Africa, Russia, Brazil, Mexico for raw materials; South
Korea, Japan, Europe and US for high-end and sophisticated
Foster Peace, Relationship
manufacturing to identify some of them) resulting in steady and
(then)
strong economic growth, low inflation, increased consumption,
etc.
Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019
 ~7~

Credits:
 Building Leadership Capability - How the Suitability Model Simplifies the Way We Think, Susan J. Schmitt (HR Directions) (2019)
 Complexity of Mental Processing Audio & Transcript (1994), Elliott Jaques and Kathryn Cason
 Human Capability: A Study of Individual Potential and Its Application (1994), Elliott Jaques
 Requisite Organization, A Total System for Effective Managerial Organization and Managerial Leadership for the 21 st Century, Elliott Jaques (Revised Second Edition)

Intellectual Property – Badri Narrayen, Principal, Monaries Consulting LLC, June 2019