New Organizational Forms for Competing in Highly Dynamic Environments: the Network Paradigm

Turbulence and rapid change in the business environment have been associated for some time with the development of new network organizational forms which put various types of strategic alliance and other inter-organizational collaborations into effect. This paper traces the rationale for the formation of such networks and the associated vertical disaggregation of functions and implications for internal organizational design. This leads to the proposal of a classification framework for network forms. Using the dimensions of volatility of environmental change on the one hand, and the type of inter-organizational relationship involved (collaborative or transactional) on the other hand, network forms are classified as: hollow networks, flexible networks, value-added networks and virtual networks. In each case it is possible to identify the environmental and organizational contingencies most likely to be associated with the emergence and adoption of a particular type of network arrangement. This argument leads to the identification of a new research agenda which has the goals of developing more robust conceptualizations of network characteristics; better understanding the contingencies surrounding the emergence of network forms and their relative efficiencies and specifying some of the major implications of network formation for internal organizational design. In parallel the paper identifies a number of managerial implications for setting strategic priorities and developing appropriate management systems in these new organizational contexts.     

The XX factor: Female managers and innovation in a cross-country setting

Our understanding of the link between women managers and firm-level innovation remains incomplete. Building on recent research on gender and leadership styles, we argue that there is a positive association between women managers and firm innovation. We highlight the selection process of women managers as an important underlying mechanism and discuss institutional and environmental contingencies as factors that influence this association. Specifically, we theorize and garner empirical support for the idea that in countries with legislation that promotes legally-mandated gender quotas, underqualified women may be selected for management positions, whereas in countries with voluntary gender quotas (or quotas are entirely absent), women are predominantly selected on the basis of their qualifications. The association between women and innovation is strengthened (weakened) in the latter (former) case. We also argue that this positive relationship is stronger under conditions of environmental complexity, which typically characterize innovation activities. These predictions are supported on the basis of data from the Management, Organization and Innovation (MOI) survey which covers manufacturing firms in twelve countries.     

组织创新、组织能力和组织绩效的关系研究

构建了组织创新、组织能力和组织绩效分析框架,以研究三者之间相互影响的机制和路径,并以华南地区的194家企业为样本进行实证研究。研究结果表明:组织能力是组织创新作用于组织绩效的中介变量;组织能力的前因,来自管理创新的影响大于来自技术创新的影响;组织创新从组织能力影响组织绩效的强度,比从技术创新影响组织绩效的强度更强;组织创新对于组织长期绩效、短期绩效的影响路径有所不同。     

基于数字化技术共建“和而不同”动态能力--2011~2020年索菲亚与经销商的纵向案例研究

如何解决组织间管理认知对跨组织动态能力的负面影响,既是双元动态能力研究的前沿课题,也是管理实践的难题。本文以“和而不同”的中国哲学思想为基础,通过对2011~2020年索菲亚与经销商的纵向案例研究发现:(1)适度变化与高度动荡两种环境类型决定了合作组织间一致(“和”)或不一致(“不和”)的管理认知。数字化技术通过削弱跨组织异质性资源的不匹配,促进了一致的管理认知,即实现“和”;同时,通过强化跨组织异质性资源的互补与融合,促进了差异化的创新行动,即实现“不同”;(2)合作组织基于数字化技术构建了合作创新能力和协同变革能力,形成从跨组织异质性资源到跨组织“和而不同”动态能力的构建。据此,本文提出基于数字化技术的跨组织嵌套型双元动态能力模型,扩展了管理认知与跨组织双元动态能力的关系研究而形成理论创新,为管理实践提供了管理认知一致与不一致条件下合作组织共建跨组织动态能力的一种解决方案。     

面向创新的项目导向型企业体制与机制的集成模型与方法

本文通过对天津、河北和山东部分企业的研究发现,我国现有企业在自主创新方面存在企业组织体制和管理机制方面的问题.为解决这些问题,我国企业需要建设一种面向创新的项目导向型企业模式.国际最新的研究结果可以证明,这种新型企业是我国创新型国家建设和知识经济发展所需项目导向型社会的基本单元.本文全面讨论了这种面向创新的项目导向型企业组织体制和管理机制问题,以及建设这种自主创新企业所需的集成模型和方法.     

Notes from an Introspective Behaviorist

Abstract

Based on the three-contingency model of performance management, I make the following argument: (1) Often, we fail to behave as we should because the natural contingencies supporting appropriate behavior are ineffective; the natural contingencies involve outcomes for each individual response that are either too small, though of cumulative significance, or outcomes that are too improbable. The delay of the outcome is essentially irrelevant. The psychodynamic model of the cognitive motivational theorists provides a poor explanation for why we fail to behave as we should. (2) The performance-management contingencies in organizational behavior management (OBM) must usually involve deadline-induced aversive control, even when they are based on powerful reinforcers. Furthermore, such performance management succeeds only to the extent that the person's behavioral history, “Jewish mother,” has inculcated an appropriate value system. Wiegand and Geller's critique of the necessity of the use of aversive control fails to take into account the necessity of deadlines and the difference between instrumental and hedonic reinforcers; furthermore, it greatly over values the power of intrinsic reinforcement contingencies in OBM.     

Explaining ambidextrous leadership in the aerospace and defense organizations

Researchers have increasingly been using the term of organizational ambidexterity to denote the simultaneous use of exploration and exploitation in organizations. Exploration refers to innovation, whereas exploitation addresses cost efficiency. However, despite the plethora of research output on ambidexterity, very few studies are actually providing insights into what specific behaviors and leadership styles accomplish ambidexterity and how organizational constraints influence ambidextrous leadership. In this research, we aim to explain the key properties of ambidextrous leadership, where we propose that ambidexterity is most efficiently promoted by ambidextrous leaders who combine two leadership styles: transformational leadership and transactional leadership. In our study, we associate transformational leadership to exploration, whereas transactional leadership is linked to exploitation. We conduct a research on ambidextrous leadership in the aerospace and defense organizations while also taking into account how organizational structure and environmental dynamism impact leadership styles. The results of our research reveal that both leadership styles are present at the senior management level. Top management, however, mostly uses transactional leadership in part because of structural and environmental constraints while also employing some limited form of transformational leadership style. Therefore, our study concludes that in this particular field the ambidextrous leaders are primarily focused on exploitative activities, while only a limited amount of their time is being allocated on exploration-oriented objectives.     

市场导向与组织绩效的关系:组织学习与创新的影响——珠三角地区企业的实证研究

近年来,市场导向的企业文化被认为是企业取得竞争优势的关键因素,但外国学者的实证研究却一直怀疑这一命题。改革开放以来,我国许多企业开始引入市场导向的管理观念,然而这种观念是否以及如何影响企业的绩效?国内外学术界尚未发表以中国内地数据为基础的实证结果,也就是说我国企业倡导以市场为导向的经营理念有一定的盲目性。本文以我国珠三角地区企业等为调查对象,对市场导向是否以及如何通过组织学习和组织创新影响组织的绩效进行实证研究。结果表明(:1)市场导向并不直接影响组织的绩效(;2)市场导向对组织学习有显著的直接影响,对组织创新没有显著的直接影响(;3)组织学习对技术创新和管理创新都有显著的直接影响(;4)市场导向通过组织学习对组织创新有显著的间接影响(;5)管理创新对组织绩效有直接正面的影响,技术创新并不直接影响组织的绩效(;6)组织创新可分为管理创新和技术创新,技术创新对管理创新有显著的正面影响(;7)组织学习通过影响组织创新进而间接影响组织绩效(;8)市场导向会通过影响组织学习,进而影响组织创新,并最终影响组织的绩效。管理创新在“市场导向—组织学习—组织创新—组织绩效”链中起到了至关重要的作用,是提升组织绩效的瓶颈。     

分布式领导、组织支持感与新生代员工主动性-被动性创新行为:基于上下级关系和价值观匹配的交互调节效应

新生代员工正逐渐成为企业的主力军,其创新意识和行为直接影响着企业发展的前景与未来。本文基于中国文化和组织情境,从员工个体创新动机视角将新生代员工创新行为归为主动和被动,以306名新生代员工为研究对象,验证了分布式领导对新生代员工不同性质创新行为的作用机制。研究结果表明:分布式领导与新生代员工主动性创新行为呈正相关关系,与其被动性创新行为呈负相关关系;组织支持感在分布式领导与新生代员工主动性-被动性创新行为之间具有中介作用;上下级关系和价值观匹配正向调节分布式领导与新生代员工组织支持感之间的关系,并进一步检验了有调节的中介效应。此外,上下级关系和价值观匹配的交互项调节了分布式领导与新生代员工组织支持感之间的关系。本文研究为企业如何指导新生代员工进行有效的创新实践提供了经验证据。     

On Making Mountains Out of Molehills

Abstract

Seven thoughtful and provocative commentaries were activated by one or both of two articles I authored or coauthored. One article (Geller, 2002) presented a case for broadening the content of organizational behavior management (OBM), while the other (Wiegand & Geller, 2004) discussed linkages between positive reinforcement, positive psychology, and achievement motivation. This rejoinder explains apparent misperceptions of the earlier papers, and adds to the case for expanding the language and scope of OBM, including a consideration of hypothetical constructs influenced reciprocally by environmental conditions and contingencies. A rationale for success seeking over failure avoiding is given with reference to Skinner's theorizing about freedom and dignity.     

A juggling act: CEO polychronicity and firm innovation

This study examines a unique CEO temporal characteristic—polychronicity (the extent to which CEOs prefer to engage in multiple projects simultaneously and believe that this is the best way of doing things). I propose that CEO polychronicity is a double-edged sword for firm innovation and that this relationship is contingent on the environmental and organizational contexts. Specifically, CEO polychronicity is positively related to firm innovation when firms operate in more dynamic environments, are relatively large and have poor past performance, but is negatively related to firm innovation when firms operate in less dynamic environments, are relatively small and have good past performance. Results based on survey data from 111 Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) largely support my hypotheses. This study makes contributions by being an initial attempt to examine CEO polychronicity and by identifying essential boundary conditions of the effect of CEO polychronicity on firm innovation.     

The integration of TQM and technology/R&D management in determining quality and innovation performance

This paper presents an empirical study which examines the co-alignment between Total Quality Management (TQM) and technology/research and development (R&D) management in predicting organizational performance in terms of quality and innovation. This study improves our understanding of the relationship between TQM and innovation based on the following two major issues. First, this study contributes to the understanding of the co-alignment between TQM and technology management along with R&D management by bridging the gap between the two areas which are often addressed in a separate fashion. Second, this study also examines the impact of the integration between TQM and technology/R&D on quality and innovation performance which have been considered as the primary sources of a competitive advantage. The empirical data was drawn from 194 Australian organizations and analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. The findings indicate that TQM shows a strong predictive power against quality performance but no significant relationship against innovation performance. On the other hand, technology and R&D management shows a significant relationship with quality performance but at a lower level than that of TQM, and shows much stronger relationship with innovation performance. In addition, there is strong and positive correlation between TQM and technology/R&D management. The major implication of this study is that technology/R&D management is an appropriate resource to be used in harmony with TQM to enhance organizational performance, particularly innovation.     

Top management team diversity and ambidexterity: The contingent role of shared responsibility and CEO cognitive trust

Earlier research has suggested that diversity is a double-edged sword when achieving organizational ambidexterity. While it may contribute to the development of new combinations of exploration and exploitation, it may also lead to disagreements and potential conflict within top management teams (TMTs). To improve our understanding of the effectiveness of diversity in ambidextrous organizations, we develop a synergistic perspective on TMT diversity and examine how two types of diversity – functional and age diversity – affect the achievement of organizational ambidexterity. We also identify shared responsibility and CEO cognitive trust as important contingencies that may complement the effects of diversity within TMTs in terms of resolving potential conflicts and managing tensions between exploration and exploitation effectively. Based on multisource data, our study shows that CEO cognitive trust and shared responsibility moderate the relationship between different types of diversity and ambidexterity. Our study has important implications for research on organizational ambidexterity, diversity, and senior leadership.     

Environmental regulatory influence and product innovation: the contingency effects of organizational characteristics

This paper examines the relationship between environmental regulatory influence and product innovation in a multi-industry sample of manufacturing organizations. Our theory argues that the influence of environmental regulation on the level of product innovation in a manufacturing organization is at least partially contingent on the organization's internal characteristics—in particular, its structural flexibility and production process flexibility. Hypotheses are derived from our theory and tested, and the results are consistent with the conclusion that structural flexibility and production process flexibility moderate the environmental regulatory influence–product innovation relationship. Whether environmental regulation inhibits or promotes product innovation seems to depend at least in part on certain internal features of an organization. We discuss implications of our results for future organization studies research on environmental regulation, and for research on other types of external constraints on organizational performance.     

主动性-被动性员工创新行为:基于分布式领导的作用机制研究

员工创新是企业创新驱动的重要推动力和提升其核心竞争力的关键。当前中国组织情境中,存在着两种不同性质的员工创新行为:主动性员工创新行为和被动性员工创新行为,两者所产生的创新绩效存在巨大差异。然而,现有文献对被动性员工创新行为研究不足,理论研究已经无法适应实践的需要,因此,有必要将两种不同性质的员工创新行为放在一个框架下进行研究,以丰富创新行为的研究内涵。本文以新兴的领导发展取向——分布式领导为切入点,引入组织支持感作为中介变量,上下级关系和价值观匹配作为调节变量,构建了分布式领导对主动性-被动性员工创新行为的作用模型。为了验证该模型,以408名知识型员工为研究对象,通过多元回归分析的方法进行检验,研究结果发现:分布式领导对主动性员工创新行为具有正向影响,对被动性员工创新行为具有负向影响;组织支持感在分布式领导与主动性-被动性员工创新行为之间起中介作用;上下级关系和价值观匹配正向调节分布式领导与组织支持感之间的关系,并进一步验证了有调节的中介作用。同时,上下级关系和价值观匹配交互调节了分布式领导与组织支持感之间的关系。本文研究为解构中国创新管理实践中纷杂多样的创新行为提供了理论诠释,丰富了...     

The effects of the interactive use of management control systems on process and organizational innovation

This study examines how the interactive use of management control systems (iMCS) affects process and organizational innovation. Firstly, it is postulated that iMCS directly influences the development of process and organizational innovations. Secondly, we argue in favor of a moderating role of iMCS in the relationship between innovation and financial performance. Most studies of MCS and innovation have focused on new product development. However, process and organizational innovations follow innovation patterns that clearly differ from product innovation. The research model is empirically examined using data collected from a survey of 230 firms. Results from a structural model tested applying Partial Least Squares regression, controlling for size, family ownership, R&D, and product innovation, reveal that iMCS fosters process and organizational innovation. Results also suggest that iMCS could play a moderator role in the relationship between process innovation and financial performance. These findings highlight the role of iMCS in process and organizational innovation, expanding previous literature on Simons’ Levers of Control and innovation. The results are also discussed with regard to their managerial implications.     

Organizational Improvisation: A Consolidating Review and Framework

Organizational improvisation is increasingly recognized as a relevant area of management research. However, the cumulativeness of research on improvisation in organizations remains low. This paper organizes existing contributions on organizational improvisation within a new consolidating framework combining degrees (minor, bounded and structural) and levels (individual, interpersonal and organizational) of improvisation. The proposed degree/level framework allows for reviewing the existing literature on organizational improvisation in the management disciplines of strategy, organizational behaviour, organizational theory, innovation and marketing in a systematic manner. It also exposes potential areas for future research across management disciplines, research areas, organizational settings and industries, and beyond existing metaphors, most notably of jazz and improvisational theatre.     

Promoting business model innovation through social media strategic capability: A moderated mediation model

The rapid development of social media has significantly affected organizational innovation activities. However, scant research has investigated how social media, as an important innovative tool within the corporate landscape, influences firm business model innovation (BMI). This paper provides an initial investigation into whether, and how, social media can be used to promote firm BMI. Drawing on the strategic capability literature, the study examines the relationship between social media strategic capability (SMSC) and BMI by focusing on the mediating role of strategic flexibility and the moderating effects of top management team (TMT) heterogeneity and environmental dynamism. Empirical results from a sample of 283 Chinese firms with two key informants each show a significant and positive association between SMSC and BMI, which is mediated by strategic flexibility. In addition, moderated path analyses indicate that TMT heterogeneity positively moderates the SMSC–strategic flexibility path, while environmental dynamism positively moderates the strategic flexibility–BMI path in the mediated relationship. Theoretical and practical implications of this study for both social media and BMI research are discussed.     

Swiftness and Intensity of Administrative Innovation Adoption: An Empirical Study of TQM in Information Systems

Considerable attention has been directed toward developing a more complete understanding of innovation adoption by Information Systems (IS) departments. Much of this research has focused on the adoption of technological innovations, and limited research has focused on the adoption of administrative innovations. This paper focuses on an administrative innovation that is increasingly becoming popular among IS departments, namely Total Quality Management (TQM) in systems development. A synthesis of the IS innovation and TQM literatures was conducted to identify environmental, organizational, and task‐related factors that should relate to both the swiftness and the intensity of TQM adoption. The relationships between the identified variables and TQM adoption were examined using data collected from 123 IS departments in Fortune 1000 firms and large government agencies in the U.S. The results indicate that TQM adoption in systems development is influenced by the host organization's quality orientation and factors internal to the IS department including IS management support for quality, the presence of a separate quality assurance function, and the structural complexity of the IS department. Implications of this study for theory, future research, and practice are discussed.     

Ownership and Control in Closely‐held Family‐owned Firms: An Exploration of Strategic and Operational Control

Much of the existing research into the divorce of ownership and control either focuses on the propensity for the separation of decision functions or upon scrutinizing conceptions, gauges or the practicalities of organizational control in large corporations. Although far from equivocal, such research appears broadly to concur that where ownership is dispersed, de facto control is likely to be exerted by management and that where ownership is closely‐held, de facto as well as legal control is exerted by owners. This study examines this assumption through exploring the nature of control in a closely‐held family firm. In this regard, the focus of this study is not on consequences of divorced ownership and control but rather on exploring the contingencies where ownership and control diverge. This research reveals a case wherein a closely‐held family firm is strategically and operationally controlled by its managers. Case research leads to the development of a range of insights regarding the owner/family and the management characteristics that contribute to this scenario. The paper concludes with a series of implications and conclusions.