Showing papers in "Academy of Management Journal in 2004"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated contextual organizational ambidexterity, defined as the capacity to simultaneously achieve alignment and adaptability at a business-unit level, and found that a context characterized by a combination of stretch, discipline, support, and trust facilitates contextual ambidextrousness.
Abstract: We investigated contextual organizational ambidexterity, defined as the capacity to simultaneously achieve alignment and adaptability at a business-unit level. Building on the leadership and organization context literatures, we argue that a context characterized by a combination of stretch, discipline, support, and trust facilitates contextual ambidexterity. Further, ambidexterity mediates the relationship between these contextual features and performance. Data collected from 4,195 individuals in 41 business units supported our hypotheses. A recurring theme in a variety of organizational literatures is that successful organizations in a dynamic environment are ambidextrous—aligned and efficient in their management of today’s business demands, while also adaptive enough to changes in the environment that they will still be around tomorrow (Duncan, 1976; Tushman & O’Reilly, 1996). The simple idea behind the value of ambidexterity is that the demands on an organization in its task environment are always to some degree in conflict (for instance, investment in current versus future projects, differentiation versus low-cost production), so there are always trade-offs to be made. Although these trade-offs can never entirely be eliminated, the most successful organizations reconcile them to a large degree, and in so doing enhance their long-term competitiveness. Authors have typically viewed ambidexterity in structural terms. According to Duncan (1976), who first used the term, organizations manage trade-offs between conflicting demands by putting in place “dual structures,” so that certain business units—or groups within business units—focus on alignment, while others focus on adaptation (Duncan, 1976).
3,009 citations
TL;DR: The central argument of network research is that actors are embedded in networks of interconnected social relationships that offer opportunities for and constraints on behavior as discussed by the authors, and the authors of this paper review the antecedents and consequences of networks at the interpersonal, interunit, and interorganizational levels of analysis, evaluate recent theoretical and empirical trends, and give directions for future research.
Abstract: The central argument of network research is that actors are embedded in networks of interconnected social relationships that offer opportunities for and constraints on behavior. We review research on the antecedents and consequences of networks at the interpersonal, interunit, and interorganizational levels of analysis, evaluate recent theoretical and empirical trends, and give directions for future research, highlighting the importance of investigating cross-level network phenomena.
1,994 citations
TL;DR: In a qualitative study of the emerging field of HIV/AIDS treatment advocacy in Canada, it was found that institutional entrepreneurship involved three sets of critical activities: the occupation of “subject positions” that have wide legitimacy and bridge diverse stakeholders.
Abstract: In a qualitative study of the emerging field of HIV/AIDS treatment advocacy in Canada, we found that institutional entrepreneurship involved three sets of critical activities: (1) the occupation of “subject positions” that have wide legitimacy and bridge diverse stakeholders, (2) the theorization of new practices through discursive and political means, and (3) the institutionalization of these new practices by connecting them to stakeholders’ routines and values.
1,876 citations
TL;DR: This editorial column is encouraging scholars to submit their qualitative research to the Academy of Man and encouraged Bob Gephart to provide a bit of a minitutorial-complete with reference citations and examples of high-quality papers that use particular qualitative approaches-in addition to his observations about qualitative research submitted to AMI
Abstract: Editor's note: For this issue's \"From the Editors,\" I invited Robert Gephart of the University of Al-berta to reflect on his observations as a long-serving , award-winning reviewer of qualitative research for A!vII Over the past two and a half years, I have developed a tremendous respect for Bob's keen eye for evaluating qualitative research submissions , and great admiration for the painstaking advice he provides authors about how to improve their work. As a world-renowned qualitative author himself, Bob is in an excellent position to provide observations about how authors might increase the chances of having their qualitative research accepted for publication at AMI In a three-way electronic mail conversation about the challenges and opportunities of qualitative research , Bob, Tom Lee, and I all concluded that many authors with potentially very interesting data sets don't seem to know how to analyze them to their full potential. This is perhaps not surprising, gi ven the clear predominance of quantitative methods and statistics courses over qualitative ones, particularly in North America, as well as the inherently greater subjectivity involved in designing and analyzing qualitative research. As such, we encouraged Bob to provide a bit of a minitutorial-complete with reference citations and examples of high-quality papers that use particular qualitative approaches-in addition to his observations about qualitative research submitted to AMI The result is a longer-than-usual \"From the Edi-tors\" column. but one that we believe is well worth the extra reading time for anyone interested in producing , reviewing, or attempting to coax greater insights from qualitative research. We are fortunate to have someone with Bob's expertise share his observations, and we hope that his thoughts will prove useful to researchers for many years to come. Sara Rynes Incoming Editor I am thankful to Sara for inviting me to write this editorial column encouraging scholars to submit their qualitative research to the Academy of Man-I wish to thank Torn Lee and Sara Rynes for their helpful comments and encouragement in preparing this editorial. 454 agement Journal. Qualitative research is important to AMI Qualitative research is actively sought and supported by the Journal, its editors, and its editorial review board. Alv1Jhas published many qualitative papers. The coveted A/'v1jBest Article Award has been won by three qualitative papers-Gersick (1989), Isabella (1990), and Dutton and Duckerich (1991)-and by one paper that combined qualitative and quantitative methods: Sutton and Rafuclli, (1988). Despite these successes, most …
1,335 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that firms with low environmental legitimacy incur less unsystematic stock market risk than illegitimate firms and that firms earn environmental legitimacy when their performance with respect to the natural environment conforms to stakeholders' expectations.
Abstract: Applying institutional theory, we argue that environmentally legitimate firms incur less unsystematic stock market risk than illegitimate firms. Firms earn environmental legitimacy when their performance with respect to the natural environment conforms to stakeholders' expectations. This relationship was supported with the analysis of media reports and stock prices of 100 firms over a five-year period. The analysis also showed that firms with low environmental legitimacy can attenuate this effect by expressing commitment to the natural environment.
1,295 citations
TL;DR: In this article, data from 170 employees of a Dutch firm showed that the quality of leader-member exchange mediated positive relationships between a mastery orientation and leader-rated in-role job performance, leader rated innovative job performance and job satisfaction.
Abstract: As hypothesized, data from 170 employees of a Dutch firm showed that the quality of leader-member exchange mediated positive relationships between a mastery orientation and leader-rated in-role job performance, leader-rated innovative job performance, and job satisfaction. In contrast, a performance orientation was negatively related or unrelated to those outcomes. These findings suggest that employees with stronger mastery orientations are more effective on the job because they tend to establish higher-quality exchanges with their supervisors. Important and recurring questions in organizational science are why employees perform well in their jobs and why they are satisfied with their jobs. Achievement goal theory and research suggest that
1,284 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a longitudinal qualitative study examined "sensemaking" during an imposed shift from hierarchical to decentralized organization and identified a "replacement" pattern of schema development in WSDL.
Abstract: This longitudinal, qualitative study examined “sensemaking” during an imposed shift from hierarchical to decentralized organization. We identified a “replacement” pattern of schema development in w...
1,263 citations
TL;DR: A theoretical framework for the study of multinationality and performance includes both benefits and costs of geographic expansion over different phases of internationalization was proposed in this article, which highlighted complexity and temporal dynamics.
Abstract: A proposed theoretical framework for the study of multinationality and performance includes both benefits and costs of geographic expansion over different phases of internationalization. Data on 1,489 Japanese firms over 12 years show a consistent horizontal X S-shaped X relationship between multinationality and performance. Further, firms investing more heavily in intangible assets, such as technology and advertising, achieved greater profitability gains from growth in foreign direct investment. Our framework and findings highlight complexity and temporal dynamics.
1,053 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a multilevel study of 257 employees, 44 managers, and 1,993 customers from 25 restaurants was conducted to investigate the service performance of 25 restaurants in the US.
Abstract: Previous work on service performance has focused on either organization- or individual-level analysis. This multilevel study of 257 employees, 44 managers, and 1,993 customers from 25 restaurants d...
975 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated how the knowledge capabilities of industry incumbents affected the generation, development, and performance of "spin-outs" (entrepreneurial ventures of ex-employees).
Abstract: We investigated how the knowledge capabilities of industry incumbents affected the generation, development, and performance of “spin-outs” (entrepreneurial ventures of ex-employees). Analyses of 1977–97 data from the disk drive industry supported our hypothesis that incumbents with both strong technological and market pioneering know-how generate fewer spin-outs than firms with strength in only one of these areas. Also, an incumbent’s capabilities at the time of a spin-out’s founding positively affect the spin-out’s knowledge capabilities and its probability of survival.
955 citations
TL;DR: The concept of group social capital is introduced in this paper, which is defined as the configuration of group members' social relationships within a group and in the social structure of a broader organization.
Abstract: This study introduces the concept of group social capital, which is the configuration of group members' social relationships within a group and in the social structure of a broader organization, an...
TL;DR: The authors argue that individual performance in knowledge-intensive work is associated with properties of both networks and ties, and that such properties are associated with relationships crossing organizational boundaries, physical barriers, or physical barriers.
Abstract: We argue that individual performance in knowledge-intensive work is associated with properties of both networks and ties. Relationships crossing organizational boundaries, physical barriers, or hie...
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between social capital and knowledge creation at the individual level was analyzed, and a limited theory of knowledge creation was proposed, which encompasses the number and strength of the relat...
Abstract: This study analyzed the relationship between social capital and knowledge creation at the individual level. Our limited theory of knowledge creation encompasses the number and strength of the relat...
TL;DR: This paper proposed a work-unit-level construct, empowerment climate, and tested a multiple-level model integrating macro and micro approaches to empowerment, and found that empowerment climate was empirically distinct from psychological empowerment and positively related to manager ratings of workunit performance.
Abstract: Most research to date has approached employee empowerment as an individual-level phenomenon. In this study we proposed a work-unit-level construct, empowerment climate, and tested a multiple-level model integrating macro and micro approaches to empowerment. Empowerment climate was shown to be empirically distinct from psychological empowerment and positively related to manager ratings of work-unit performance. A cross-level mediation analysis using hierarchical linear modeling showed that psychological empowerment mediated the relationships between empowerment climate and individual performance and job satisfaction.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the relationship between team empowerment and virtual team performance and the moderating role of the extent of face-to-face interaction using 35 sales and service virtual teams in a high-technology organization.
Abstract: We investigated the relationship between team empowerment and virtual team performance and the moderating role of the extent of face-to-face interaction using 35 sales and service virtual teams in a high-technology organization. Team empowerment was positively related to two independent assessments of virtual team performance— process improvement and customer satisfaction. Further, the number of face-to-face meetings moderated the relationship between team empowerment and process improvement: team empowerment was a stronger predictor for teams that met face-toface less, rather than more, frequently.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors extend theory and research on job embeddedness, which was disaggregated into its two major subdimensions, on-the-job and off-thejob embeddedness.
Abstract: This study extends theory and research on job embeddedness, which was disaggregated into its two major subdimensions, on-the-job and off-the-job embeddedness. As hypothesized, regression analyses r...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between employee personality and psychological contract type, perceptions of contract breach, and feelings of contract violation, and found that personality characteristics were positively associated with contract violation.
Abstract: This research examined the relationship between employee personality and psychological contract type, perceptions of contract breach, and feelings of contract violation. In general, personality cha...
TL;DR: In this article, a knowledge-based view of the firm and theory from the information processing and organizational learning is used to understand why some supply chains perform well while others do not.
Abstract: Little is known about why some supply chains perform well while others do not. Drawing on the knowledge-based view of the firm and theory from the information processing and organizational learning...
TL;DR: Extending previous theorizing on cultural diversity's organizational effects by integrating value-in-diversity and social identity perspectives with the framework of Blau's (1977) theory of heterog...
Abstract: Extending previous theorizing on cultural diversity's organizational effects by integrating value-in-diversity and social identity perspectives with the framework of Blau's (1977) theory of heterog...
TL;DR: A high level of trust can make the members of self-managing work teams reluctant to monitor one another, but if low monitoring combines with high individual autonomy, team performance can suffer.
Abstract: A high level of trust can make the members of self-managing work teams reluctant to monitor one another. If low monitoring combines with high individual autonomy, team performance can suffer. Data ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify determinants of multinational companies' global environmental conduct and empirically analyze their importance, based on the international management and environmental management liter atures, and identify the factors that cause MNCs to standardize their environmental policies on a global basis.
Abstract: The environmental conduct of multinational companies (MNCs) is very controversial. On the one hand, it has been argued that MNCs exploit cross-country differences in environmental regula tions by locating dirty operations in countries with lax environmental regulations and by adapting their subsidiaries' environmental policies, technol ogies, and standards to local country conditions (Gladwin, 1987; K?rten, 1995; Vernon, 1998). On the other hand, it has been suggested that MNCs increasingly self-regulate their environmental con duct (Christmann & Taylor, 2001; Rappaport & Fla herty, 1992; United Nations, 1993). Self-regulation refers to a firm's adoption of environmental poli cies or performance standards that exceed the re quirements of government regulations. MNCs can self-regulate their environmental conduct by stan dardizing their environmental policies worldwide, thus reducing their ability to exploit cross-country differences in environmental regulations. Although evidence from the 1970s and 1980s supports the adaptation of MNCs' environmental policies and standards to local conditions (Gladwin, 1987; United Nations, 1988), more recent evidence sug gests that MNCs are increasingly implementing more globally uniform environmental policies (Brown, Derr, Renn, & White, 1993; Dowell, Hart, & Yeung, 2000; Rappaport & Flaherty, 1992). How ever, little is known about the factors that cause MNCs to standardize their environmental polices on a global basis, and more research is needed to address this question (Dowell et al., 2000). In this paper, I identify determinants of MNCs' global en vironmental policy standardization and empiri cally analyze their importance. To address this issue, I drew on the international management and environmental management liter atures. The international management literature suggests that MNCs can implement strategies that range from nationally responsive and adapted to country markets to globally integrated and stan dardized (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1989; Prahalad & Doz, 1987; Yip, 1992). Empirical studies have analyzed determinants of global standardization for MNCs' overall strategies as well as for different functional strategies (Hannon, Huang, & Jaw, 1995; Johansson & Yip, 1994; Kobrin, 1991; Laroche, Kirpalani, Pons, & Zhou, 2001). In the environmental manage ment literature, studies have examined determi nants of firms' environmental conduct in single country settings (Arag?n-Correa, 1998; Arora & Cason, 1995; Christmann & Taylor, 2001; Hen riques & Sadorsky, 1996; Sharma, 2000). Both ex ternal stakeholders and internal firm characteris tics have been identified as determinants of firms'
TL;DR: This article found that people with unmet goals were more likely to engage in unethical behavior than people attempting to do their best, and that the relationship between goal setting and unethical behavior was particularly strong when people fell just short of reaching their goals.
Abstract: We explored the role of goal setting in motivating unethical behavior in a laboratory experiment. We found that people with unmet goals were more likely to engage in unethical behavior than people attempting to do their best. This relationship held for goals both with and without economic incentives. We also found that the relationship between goal setting and unethical behavior was particularly strong when people fell just short of reaching their goals. A substantial literature has documented the benefits of setting goals. In general, people exert more effort and work more persistently to attain difficult goals than they do when they attempt to attain less difficult goals or to “do their best” (Locke & Latham, 1990). This relationship is so strong that goal setting has become an important part of motivation theory and management education (Ambrose & Kulik, 1999). In fact, Locke and Latham (1990) contended that goal setting might be the most effective managerial tool available. In several organizational settings, however, the use of goal setting has been associated with “cooked books” and false sales reports (e.g., Degeorge, Patel, & Zeckhauser, 1999; Jensen, 2001). In this work, we identify an important, unintended consequence of setting goals. Our results demonstrate that, in addition to motivating constructive effort, goal setting motivates unethical behavior when people fall short of their goals. We argue that while goal setting can be used constructively, it must also be used cautiously.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors hypothesized that individuals' demographic characteristics, values, and personality influence their acquisition of central positions in their teams' social networks, and found that individuals who were highly educated and low in neuroticism became high in advice and friendship centrality, while low in adversarial centrality.
Abstract: Drawing on social exchange and similarity-attraction theories, we hypothesized that individuals' demographic characteristics, values, and personality influence their acquisition of central positions in their teams' social networks. Education and neuroticism predicted centrality five months later; individuals who were highly educated and low in neuroticism became high in advice and friendship centrality and low in adversarial centrality. Team members' values similarity to their teammates also predicted advice and friendship centrality; demographic similarity had limited effects.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tested the hypothesis that employee turnover and firm performance have an inverted U-shaped relationship: overly high or low turnover is harmful, while a curvilinear relationship was observed with certainty.
Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that employee turnover and firm performance have an inverted U-shaped relationship: overly high or low turnover is harmful. Our analysis was based on economic performance data from 110 offices of a temporary employment agency. These offices had high variation in turnover but were otherwise similar, allowing control for important intervening variables. Regression analysis revealed a curvilinear relationship; high turnover was harmful, but the inverted U-shape was not observed with certainty.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how social capital and the power of venture capitalists and founderCEOs affect IPO firm survival and found that average management team tenure and an IPO deal's network embeddedness decreased the likelihood of failure during a firm's first five years as a public entity.
Abstract: We examined how social capital and the power of venture capitalists and founderCEOs affect IPO firm survival. Using data from 218 U.S. initial public offerings conducted in 1992, we found that average management team tenure and an IPO deal’s network embeddedness decreased the likelihood of failure during a firm’s first five years as a public entity. Founder-CEO presence at the time of an IPO interacted with CEO ownership to decrease the likelihood of failure, and CEO ownership and venture capitalist ownership concentration also decreased that likelihood. Evolutionary perspectives on organizations are often accompanied by the presumption that organizations face an increased risk of failure early in their lives owing to liabilities of newness (Aldrich, 1999; Stinchcombe, 1965). As organizational goals and patterns of activity become routinized over time, increased reliability in performance and accountability for actions taken enhance a firm’s survival chances (Hannan & Freeman, 1984). This process, however, also generates strong inertial pressures that not only discourage organizational change, but also, because of the potential for disruption to existing internal and external routines, make change hazardous. Research findings suggest that even in older, better-established firms, significant transformational events during their life cycles can effectively “reset the clock” and reintroduce risks associated with the liability of newness as firms struggle to adapt strategies, internal operational and administrative processes, and/or external ties and relationships (Amburgey, Kelly, & Barnett, 1993). Thus, transformational change in organizational operations decreases efficiency and increases failure rates, at least in the short term, as resources and attention are diverted from normal, routinized operating functions to processes involving adaptation and reorientation (Haveman, 1992).
TL;DR: It is shown that, in the Italian television production industry, current structural holes rather than past ones, but past closure rather than current closure, help current network performance.
Abstract: Investigating the efficacy of two alternative network structures, closure and structural holes, from the contingent perspective of time, we connect past and current social structures to outcomes. We show that, in the Italian television production industry, current structural holes rather than past ones, but past closure rather than current closure, help current network performance. Thus, structural holes and closure are both valuable, but at different points in time.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed process models of turnover focus on how people quit and content models focus on why, and test whether motives relate systematically to decision processes, classified 1...
Abstract: Process models of turnover focus on how people quit; content models focus on why. To integrate these approaches and test whether motives relate systematically to decision processes, we classified 1...
TL;DR: In this paper, the determinants of global standardization of multinational companies' environmental policies are analyzed and found that MNCs standardize different environmental policy dimensions in response to pressures from different external stakeholders.
Abstract: This study analyzes the determinants of global standardization of multinational companies’ environmental policies. Survey data from the chemical industry show that MNCs standardize different environmental policy dimensions in response to pressures from different external stakeholders. MNC characteristics also affect environmental policy standardization. Findings demonstrate that the nature of stakeholder demands affects firms’ responses to stakeholder pressures. Because environmental policy standardization reduces MNCs’ ability to exploit cross-country differences in environmental regulations, these findings also have important implications for the self-regulation of MNCs’ environmental conduct.
TL;DR: This article investigated goal setting and goal orientation together in a complex business simulation and found that a specific learning goal led to a better performance than a general learning goal and a general goal orientation.
Abstract: Uniting separate research streams on situational and dispositional goals, we investigated goal setting and goal orientation together in a complex business simulation A specific learning goal led t
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the contingent effect of strategic decision comprehensiveness on new product performance and product quality in new technology ventures in China, and found that the relationship between decision-consistency and product performance was negatively moderated by technology uncertainty but positively moderate by demand uncertainty.
Abstract: With a sample of new technology ventures in China, we investigated the contingent effect of strategic decision comprehensiveness on new product performance and product quality. The relationship between strategic decision comprehensiveness and new product performance was negatively moderated by technology uncertainty but positively moderated by demand uncertainty. The effect of decision comprehensiveness on new product quality was positively moderated by demand uncertainty but unaffected by technology uncertainty. The comprehensiveness-performance link emerges as more complex than previous research has shown. A key distinguishing characteristic of the strategic management discipline is the emphasis it places on firms’ competitive environments. Firms are viewed as information-processing or interpretation systems that scan and collect data from their environments, interpret the data, and then learn by acting upon the interpretation (Daft & Weick, 1984). This notion is central to the contingency perspective that underlies information processing theory. According to the contingency perspective, the fit between the information-processing requirements facing a firm and the information-processing capac