Development of engineering managers: An alternative approach

A persistent problem existing in many technical organizations is the effective development of engineering managers. The authors discuss the problem, typical approaches currently used in attempts to resolve it, and then offer an alternative approach. The suggested strategy entails standard, formal training methods coupled with provision of informal opportunities within the organization. While formal training provides the essential building blocks of managerial knowledge, it is suggested that informal opportunities allow the potential manager to put this knowledge to trial use in a variety of situations. The benefit for the engineer is a better understanding of the material learned and how it may be practically applied. The benefit for the organization is the realization and utilization of potentially untapped human resources.     

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.     

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.     

Integration mechanisms and R&D project performance

Information processing theory suggests the need for different types of integration mechanisms in R&D project management depending on levels of uncertainty and equivocality. This paper examines the use of these mechanisms and their links to project performance in a sample of 121 R&D projects in a large research laboratory. Overall, it is found that formal leadership, planning and process specification, and to a lesser extent information technology use are related to project performance while the positive effects of horizontal structures are apparently balanced out by their costs. The integration mechanisms studied act on performance partly through their effect on horizontal communications. Modest support was found for the contingency hypotheses derived from information processing theory. It appears that managers adjusted their use of horizontal structures, planning and process specification, and informal leadership to project uncertainty but not to project equivocality. The positive effects of horizontal communications on performance were found to be greatest under high project equivocality as would be predicted by information processing arguments. Moreover, with the exception of formal leadership, the use of integration mechanisms did not enhance performance in contexts of low uncertainty and low equivocality.     

风险环境下企业信息系统项目控制对绩效的影响机制研究:基于项目经理和用户代表的双重视角

虽然当前项目管理水平不断提高,但是企业信息系统项目实施的成功率仍然不容乐观。项目干系人缺乏准确的相互认知和角色定位,以及风险与控制的关系无法有效处理是导致项目绩效偏低的重要原因。为了从不同视角探索风险和控制对企业信息系统项目绩效的共同作用,通过对65位项目经理和63位用户代表所经历的128个项目的调查,利用结构方程模型进行实证分析,并采用层次回归分析技术进行检验。实证结果表明,正式控制和非正式控制对信息系统项目绩效都具有积极的影响,但是项目经理认为正式控制具有更加重要的作用,而用户代表认为非正式控制的作用更为显著。此外,项目经理和用户代表均认为组织风险和技术风险会减弱正式和非正式控制对绩效的有效作用。因此在控制方式的选择和组合上不仅要基于项目自身的特点,而且要基于干系人的角色。同时,信息系统项目绩效并非单纯由成功或失败因素所决定,而是取决于两类因素的均衡程度。研究结论为信息系统项目的风险控制提供了全新的理论依据和决策支持。     

Product innovation input and outcome: moderating effects of the innovation process

In this research, we propose and examine the proposition that product innovation process is a moderator in the “innovation input–outcome” relationship. Innovation input involves R&D spending in relation to sales or R&D intensity. Innovation outcome involves innovation frequency or the number of new products developed and marketed. Innovation process involves the level of integration in organizational mechanisms: functional coordination, tool arrangement, and external relationship. Data from 45 medical and surgical device makers suggest that functional integration is a significant moderator in the innovation input–outcome relationship. External integration has only main effects whereas tool integration has neither main nor interaction effects on innovation frequency. Results could, however, be industry and sample specific. We discuss the implications of these findings for product innovation theory and research.     

Investigating the use of information technology in managing innovation: A case study from a university technology transfer office

This study investigates the use of information technology to manage innovation. It is based on a case study on the adoption of an innovation application, which provides an interface between R&D, marketing and administration functions of innovation development. Drawing on qualitative evidence including a focus group and 16 in-depth interviews, this study contributes by integrating technology acceptance constructs to innovation process performance and marketing literature, as well as by investigating technology acceptance in an innovation context. Implications are discussed for organizations engaged with R&D or innovation process management and suggestions for research directions are offered.     

Technology development control styles in multinational corporations: a case study

Multinational firms tend to geographically disperse their R&D activities to a larger extent than in the past. International R&D seems to play an increasingly important role within the global process of technological innovation taking place in multinational corporations. As a consequence, firms are challenged to design global R&D organisations and manage foreign units playing a central role in their innovation process. A key managerial aspect is the balance between autonomy and control of foreign R&D units. This case study deals with management control styles over foreign R&D units. It is based on the results of an empirical analysis of 16 multinational firms operating in technology-intensive industries. It proposes a taxonomy of management control styles in foreign R&D and gives the cue for further research in the area of technology development control.     

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.     

When managers become leaders: The role of manager network centralities,social power,and followers' perception of leadership

We explore how formal managers' centralities in both positive and negative networks predict followers' perceptions of their leadership. By incorporating social networks and social ledger theory with implicit leadership theories (ILTs), we hypothesize that formally assigned group leaders (managers) who have more positive advice ties and fewer negative avoidance ties are more likely to be recognized as leaders by their followers. Further, we posit that managers' informal networks bring them greater social power, an important attribute differentiating leaders from non-leaders. We conducted two survey-based studies in student and field teams to test the hypotheses. Based on nested data in both studies, we found support for our hypotheses. These results remain robust across the two studies even though they used different designs (cross-sectional versus longitudinal), different samples (field versus students) across different countries (United States versus India), and a host of control variables at both the leader and follower levels. We find that managers who are central in the advice network are socially powerful and are seen as leaders by individual followers. In contrast, managers who are avoided by followers lack informal social power are not seen as leaders. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and the ways in which our theory and results extend ILTs and social network theory.     

Environmental innovation and accountability at Collins & Aikman

Any company that has formulated an environmental vision soon learns that the real work is yet to come. While the vision can outline lofty “future” goals sometimes five and ten years away, defining the specifies which make the ideas real and workable is one of the most challenging tasks faced by any CEO of senior manager.This is particularly true in manufacturing where the realities of creating a superior product at a competetive price impact the daily environmental choices and are often at odds with manufacturing operations.Translating an environmental vision into a workplace reality balancing the “what if” with the practical “so how can we really accomplish this?” If technical development is measured without a clear sense of how it contributes to the environmental vision and overall manufacturing operations, the end result will be futile.Collin & Aikman Floorcoverings' environmental management program strives to balance the visionary and the practical, going so far to call themselves, practical visionaries, predicated on innovation.     

Wisdom of the crowd and capabilities of a few: internal success factors of crowdsourcing for innovation

Crowdsourcing has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy to enhance the efficiency of a firm’s innovation process. In this paper, we focus on tournament-based crowdsourcing (also referred to as “broadcast search”), a method to solve technical problems in form of an open call for solutions to a large network of experts. Based on a longitudinal study of six companies piloting this application of crowdsourcing, we identify barriers and sources of resistance that hinder its implementation in firms. Our paper contributes to the state of research by analyzing crowdsourcing on the level of pilot projects, hence providing a workflow perspective that considers the creation of dedicated processes and operations of crowdsourcing. This project level analysis enables the identification of specific challenges managers face when implementing crowdsourcing within an established R&D organization. Following a design science approach, we derive suggestions for organizational interventions to overcome these barriers. We find that dedicated promoter roles strongly contribute to a successful implementation of crowdsourcing, turning pilot projects into an organizational routine.     

Genetic distance,international experience and the performance of cross-border R&D for EMNEs

Cross-border R&D can contribute to the enhancement of independent innovation capabilities of emerging markets multinational enterprises (EMNEs) by benefiting from knowledge management. However, scant research exists examining the location impact of cross-border R&D for EMNEs on performance implications. This paper fills this important theoretical gap by building upon the literature of genetic distance in connection with knowledge management. We use a panel data of Chinese high-tech listed companies to empirically examine the impact of genetic distance on the performance of cross-border R&D and the role played by international experience. Our results reveal a positive relationship between genetic distance and the performance of cross-border R&D. Importantly, we highlight the motivation for cross-border R&D of EMNEs to acquire technical knowledge magnifies the positive effects of genetic distance and performance. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that international experience significantly enhanced the positive effect of genetic distance on cross-border R&D performance. We conclude this paper by discussing theoretical contributions to genetic distance, international management and knowledge management, as well as practical implications for cross-border R&D of EMNEs.     

The role of political ties and political uncertainty in corporate innovation

We examine the relationship between firms' political connections and corporate innovation in a European context. We also consider the moderating effect of political connections on the relationship between political uncertainty and firms' innovation. We use two different metrics of innovation: R&D (an input measure), and patent counts (an output measure). We find that firms with former politicians on their board of directors invest less in R&D than their counterpart firms. However, the presence of this type of director on the board is positively associated with the number of a firm's patent applications. It seems that, although political ties reduce the amount of resources devoted to R&D activities, they increase the effectiveness of intellectual rights protection. Results also show that political uncertainty decreases R&D investment but exacerbates the need for legal protection of innovation through patents. According to our results, political connections attenuate the effect of political uncertainty on firm innovation such that the negative (positive) effect of uncertainty on R&D intensity (patents) weakens when the firm is politically connected.     

United we stand: HR and line managers’ shared views on HR strategic integration

Based on strategic consensus literature and the strategic integration of HRM, this study hypothesizes that HR and line managers’ shared views on HR strategic integration (i.e., strategic congruence) lead to beneficial organizational outcomes. Drawing on a dyadic sample of 102 organizations, we examine the strategic congruence of line management (LM) and HRM, its joint impact on HRM value, and, in turn, the influence on internal efficiency. In this context, HRM value refers to the perceived importance of the HR function to the organization. Structural equation modeling, polynomial regressions, and response surface methodology show that there is, in fact, a non-linear relationship between strategic congruence and HRM value. Thus, only when the views of the line managers and HR managers are congruent (i.e., in agreement) does the HRM value increase, which, in turn, mediates the effect on internal efficiency. Thereby, we offer new insights into the mechanisms of strategic congruence, the mediating role of HRM value, and firm-level outcomes. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

R&D alliance portfolio and innovation in an emerging market: The role of business group affiliation and institutional reforms

The role of institutional factors in shaping the outcomes of research and development (R&D) alliance portfolios (APs) is underexplored in the extant literature. This study examines how institutional contingencies in an emerging market context affect the relationship between R&D AP composition (i.e., size and diversity) and firm innovation performance. This study draws on institutional perspective to suggest that business group affiliation (BGA) and institutional reforms positively moderate the relationship between R&D AP composition and innovation performance. A longitudinal empirical investigation conducted on a sample of 185 firms from Indian high-tech sectors, for the period 2003–2015, broadly supports our arguments. This study contributes to the AP and emerging markets literature by highlighting the effects of institutional contingencies of emerging markets on the outcomes of R&D APs.     

Assigning migrants to customer contact jobs: a context-specific exploration of the business case for diversity

Ethnic diversity of both their labor forces and customer bases presents a challenge for companies and fuels debate on the business case for diversity: the view that diversity positively impacts firm performance. This study enriches the business case debate by focusing on a particular organizational activity, customer contact. It combines theory from strategic human resource management (SHRM), research on diversity, and research on marketing to analyze what drives companies to assign migrants to customer contact jobs and which performance impacts ensue. We test our hypotheses in data from 338 German business companies. Companies that recognize the value in ethnic diversity and seek to respond to customer diversity are especially likely to assign migrants to customer contact jobs. The analyses reveal a positive impact of migrants in customer contact jobs on company profitability. This impact is enhanced by a broad range of equality and diversity practices and a supportive works council. These moderators have stronger effects than two other moderators related to business strategy: the market served by a company, and its competitive strategy. The paper contributes to SHRM research in general and diversity research in particular through its original examination associating the business case for ethnic diversity with the role of equality and diversity practices and institutions. The study findings can help managers to decide whether to leverage staff ethnic diversity and show that collaboration between HR management and marketing functions is useful to achieve a strategic fit among practices.     

Top management team characteristics and digital innovation: Exploring digital knowledge and TMT interfaces

On their journey toward digital transformation, industrial firms need to embrace digital innovation. The top management team (TMT) is expected to set the course for digital innovation, which is a challenging endeavour given the novel and cross-functional nature of digital innovation. We draw on role theory to make sense of emerging role requirements for the TMT and combine this view with upper echelon theory to hypothesize on the specific TMT characteristics that are needed for digital innovation. We first theorize that firms could benefit from TMT digital knowledge. Second, we argue that the effective utilization of TMT digital knowledge can be fostered at internal TMT interfaces, such as between the chief executive officer (CEO), respectively a chief digital officer (CDO), and other top managers. Finally, we consider the TMT hierarchical structure as a contextual factor in the stimulation of TMT integration processes by integrative CEOs and CDOs. We employ panel data regressions to a longitudinal dataset of US industrial firms and find a positive relation between TMT digital knowledge and digital innovation, on average. We additionally find evidence for the integrative roles of CEOs and CDOs. However, our findings also indicate that the CDO's integrating role can be hampered by a strong hierarchical structure in the TMT.     

Culture,connectedness, and international adoption of disruptive innovation

Why might nations vary in whether and how fast to adopt potentially disruptive innovations? Our study investigates this issue, specifically how a nation's adoption of creatively destroying innovations is related to two previously unexplored variables: cultural looseness, which is a norm-based measure of informal institutions, and global connectedness. To highlight potential contributions from these new variables, we control for within-nation contextual variables examined in prior research, including formal institutions, Hofstede's dimensions of cultural values, socioeconomic attributes, and between-nation economic grouping. Our empirical analysis of a specific disruptive innovation, agricultural biotechnology adoption, covers 47 nations over a 14-year period and provides broad support for the usefulness of cultural looseness and global connectedness for understanding innovation adoption. Cultural looseness is significantly related to adoption of agricultural biotech. Global connectedness dimensions of depth and breadth are not directly related to adoption, only interactively with cultural looseness. These findings highlight the role of informal institutions and global connectedness in shaping complex interactions between disruptive innovation and industrial evolution within and across nations. The findings also have implications for what public policy makers might do to influence the extent of adoption of such innovations.     

When does part-time employment allow managers with family responsibilities to stay on the career track? A vignette study among German managers

The present study examines the specific conditions under which part-time (PT) arrangements in managerial jobs allow parents with childcare responsibilities to stay on the career track. By integrating economic signaling theory and gender role congruity theory, a vignette study among German managers revealed that substantial PT hours, flexible working schedules, and flexible childcare arrangements positively influence decision makers’ personal promotion decisions. Further, we found a significant fatherhood bias with male PT managers receiving less favorable promotion decisions than female PT managers. The study further reveals that decision makers’ evaluations of managers’ levels of advancement motivation mediate several significant relationships. The paper discusses practical impactions and future research directions.