Top Management Compositional Effects on Corporate Entrepreneurship: The Moderating Role of Perceived Technological Uncertainty

Because corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is central to firms' ability to compete, adapt, and perform in increasingly turbulent environments, there is a great interest in understanding its origins. To date, prior studies have overwhelmingly focused on the architectural factors—the structures, cultures, resources, and incentives—that shape entrepreneurial processes within organizations and the environmental conditions that stimulate entrepreneurial activity. However, some researchers have recently begun to argue that the requirements and challenges of CE fall most saliently on the shoulders of the firm's top management team. Focusing on various aspects of top managers' activities, roles, and processes, this line of research demonstrates the enabling role of top management teams in their firm's pursuit of CE. We extend this research by examining the impact of top management team composition in terms of human capital and social capital on CE. Additionally, because external environment perceptions within top teams shape their sociopolitical process and framing of the issues facing their firms, we submit that a team's level of perceived technological uncertainty moderates the impact of the team's human and social capital on CE. We find support for these arguments using multisource data from a sample of 99 high‐technology firms. The discussion finally traces the implications of our theory and findings for research and managerial understanding on CE.     

Whom are you promoting? Positive voluntary public disclosures and executive turnover

Research summary: This paper uses signaling theory to bring together two complementary research streams that have largely ignored each other: strategic human resource management and media relations management. We argue that when publicly traded firms voluntarily and publicly disclose positive information about their value creation and appropriation activities, they also send positive signals to managerial labor markets regarding executives' capabilities. Accordingly, we hypothesize a positive association between public disclosures and voluntary executive turnover. An analysis of pharmaceutical and communications equipment firms from 1990 to 2004 supports this prediction, underscoring the need to understand better the effects of voluntary public disclosures on a firm's ability to protect its human capital. More generally, our results highlight the importance of considering the impact of a single signal on multiple receivers. Managerial summary: Given the organizational benefits of positive media coverage, the considerable effort that firms put into managing their image in the media is not surprising. We argue and show, however, that when a firm enhances its public image it also improves its executives' positions in the managerial labor market and, by so doing, increases their likelihood of voluntarily leaving the firm. In particular, we find that corporate press releases, an important mechanism for managing information released in the public domain to signal a firm's competitive advantages, may result in unintentional loss of senior management talent. This trade‐off suggests that firms should increase coordination between their strategy, human resources, and corporate communications/investor relations departments to ensure that they collectively weigh the benefits and costs of publicly disclosing value‐relevant information. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Leveraging internal resources and external business networks for new product success: A dynamic capabilities perspective

Internal resources such as technological and human capital, together with a firm's business network, are vital sources of knowledge for new product development. Previous studies largely assume that a firm's internal resources and its external resources embedded in a business network are complementary in new product development. This study draws on the dynamic capabilities perspective to take the existing literature one step further. Our hypotheses were tested using a sample of 130 Chinese manufacturing firms in high-technology industries. Interestingly, the findings reveal a more complex picture of resource interplay between internal resources and external resources embedded in a firm's business network. More specifically, the findings show that a firm's power in its business network influences the effect of its internal resources on its ability to sense and seize opportunities, a vital dynamic capability. More importantly, the findings suggest that such dynamic capability plays a pivotal role in translating the benefits of resource-interplay into new product success.     

Managerial cognitive capabilities and the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities

The microfoundations of dynamic capabilities have assumed greater importance in the search for factors that facilitate strategic change. Here, we focus on microfoundations at the level of the individual manager. We introduce the concept of “managerial cognitive capability,” which highlights the fact that capabilities involve the capacity to perform not only physical but also mental activities. We identify specific types of cognitive capabilities that are likely to underpin dynamic managerial capabilities for sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring, and explain their potential impact on strategic change of organizations. In addition, we discuss how heterogeneity of these cognitive capabilities may produce heterogeneity of dynamic managerial capabilities among top executives, which may contribute to differential performance of organizations under conditions of change. Finally, we propose possible directions for future research. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unravelling the internal and external drivers of digital servitization: A dynamic capabilities and contingency perspective on firm strategy

Despite the increased interest in using digital technologies for servitization purposes, little is known about what drives firms towards a digital servitization strategy. Using a dynamic capabilities lens, we look into the relationships between two organizational mechanisms – exploitation and exploration – and firms' orientation towards digitization, servitization and digital servitization. On top, we examine the influence of two environmental contingencies – technological turbulence and competitive intensity – as potential influencers of these relationships. We collected and analyzed data of 139 Belgian firms through hierarchical regressions. Exploitation and exploration are positively associated with digital servitization, but exploration trumps the effect of exploitation when firms do both. Technological turbulence is positively associated with digitization regardless of the firm's level of exploration or exploitation, and competitive intensity only relates positively with servitization when firms emphasize exploration. Theoretically, we contribute to the literature by unravelling the relationship between firms' dynamic capabilities and their environment. In order to fully understand firms' strategic transition towards digital servitization, both should be considered. As managerial implications, we suggest that firms pay close attention to adapting their strategy to fit an increasingly changing environment.     

The development of capabilities in new firms

This research explores evidence of corporate capabilities for conducting acquisition and alliance deals in young firms. We hypothesize that investors conjecture about the future based on information about a firm's capabilities. Each successive deal carries intrinsic value, creates experience, generates feedback, and yields information about the firm's underlying capabilities. We evaluate whether stock prices impute expectations that firms will capably pursue particular programs of acquisitions and alliances. The analysis covers how investor responses change across successive deals on the theory that firms with a concentrated program of deals may develop capabilities more intensively than those with programs that involve both acquisitions and alliances. The dataset covers the population of firms that went through an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States between 1988 and 1999. It contains information on all of their post‐IPO acquisitions and alliances, and on how their stock prices changed in response to the announcement of each deal. The results suggest that within the first year after IPO, investors expect firms to execute particular streams of alliances and acquisitions that reflect their unique histories of demonstrated capabilities. We also find evidence that investors cannot fully anticipate deal programs. The findings support a capabilities‐based view of the firm and also show that accurate inference using event‐study methods may require digging deep into the early histories of firms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The interplay and growth implications of dynamic capabilities and market orientation

This article clarifies the growth implications of a firm's dynamic capability deployment conditional on its market orientation. We develop a framework based on an abductive research approach that is grounded in existing research and draws on data from business-to-business service firms. We outline that frequency, timeliness, and speed are the three relevant temporal qualities that characterize dynamic capability deployment and that affect firm growth conditional on the firm's market-driving vs. market-driven orientation. While proficiency in all three temporal qualities is beneficial irrespective of a firm's type of market-orientation, we substantiate that market-driven firms with their exploitative, reactive conduct benefit even more from rapidly going through the processes of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring than market-driving ones do. Also, while market-driven firms benefit from frequently deploying sensing dynamic capabilities, market-driving firms with their explorative, proactive conduct benefit even more from a timely and frequent deployment of seizing and reconfiguring processes than market-driven ones do.     

Role of quality management capabilities in developing market-based organisational learning capabilities: Case study evidence from four Indian business process outsourcing firms

Business-to-business marketing literature acknowledges the value firms, including business process outsourcing firms, realise through their supplier networks. Such value realisation is often possible through a dynamic exchange of complementary organisational capabilities between a firm and its network partners. However, little is known about how outsourcing firms develop these capabilities and thus realise value. This paper addresses an unexplored theoretical gap of developing market-based organisational learning capabilities in business process outsourcing firms. Using a capabilities lens, this study assesses the impact of quality management capabilities in developing market-based organisational learning capability. Findings from a case study of four business process outsourcing firms in India suggest that effective knowledge transfer, diffusion and the development of market-based organisational learning capabilities are contingent upon the strength of a firm's quality management capabilities. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Developing e-commerce marketing capabilities and efficiencies for enhanced performance in business-to-business export ventures

This study builds on resource based view (RBV) theory by examining the effects of e-commerce on exporting performance. Specifically, a framework is developed and tested to determine the e-commerce resources/capabilities–marketing efficiencies–performance relationship. To explore the impact of e-commerce on exporting, a two-stage methodological approach was employed. Results from 15 depth interviews with exporters were used to gain insight into types of e-commerce resources and capabilities and their impact on export marketing efficiencies and performance. Next, the framework was empirically tested using a sample of 340 exporters. The evidence shows that specialized e-commerce marketing capabilities directly increase a firm's degree of distribution and communication efficiency, which in turn leads to enhanced export venture market performance. Overall, the analyses provide support for the need to incorporate e-commerce constructs into existing RBV theory in export marketing. Theoretical and managerial contributions are discussed and directions for future research are offered.     

The impact of outsourcing new technologies on integrative capabilities and performance

Outsourcing plays an important role for firms adopting new technologies. Although outsourcing provides access to a new technology, it does not guarantee that a firm can subsequently integrate the technology with existing business processes and leverage it in the marketplace. This distinction, however, has rarely been made in the literature. In the context of business process enhancing technologies, this study builds on the resource‐based and knowledge‐based views to study the impact of outsourcing on firms' subsequent performance in the market and their integrative capabilities, that is, a firm's capacity to use and assimilate a new technology with its business processes and build upon it. The study argues that greater reliance on outsourcing may reduce a firm's learning by doing, internal investment, and tacit knowledge applications, thereby impeding a firm's integrative capabilities and performance in the market. The study uses survey and archival data on banks' outsourcing strategies for Internet adoption to test for the performance consequences of outsourcing, which are found to be negative. However, the findings also show that outsourcing is less detrimental for firms with experience in prior related technology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strategy,human capital investments,business‐domain capabilities,and performance: a study in the global software services industry

Research summary : In knowledge‐based industries, continuous human capital investments are essential for firms to enhance capabilities and sustain competitive advantage. However, such investments present a dilemma for firms, because human resources are mobile. Using detailed project‐level operational, financial, and human capital data from a leading multinational firm in the global IT services industry, this study finds that deliberate investments in improving general human capital can help firms develop superior capabilities and maintain high profits. This paper identifies two types of capabilities essential for success in this industry—technological and business‐domain capabilities—and provides empirical evidence justifying such investments. Theoretical and practical implications of capability‐seeking general human capital investments are discussed. Managerial summary : The primary managerial implication of this research is that capability‐seeking investments in developing general human capital through strategic learning (training and internal certifications) can enhance firm performance. Although investing in general human capital is risky, the firm considered this a strategic necessity in order to thrive in the fast paced IT services industry. By leveraging general technological skills in combination with business‐domain knowledge to address customer's business problems firms can earn and sustain higher profits. Our study also demonstrates how a developing‐country firm responded to strong competitive challenge from global rivals possessing superior capabilities by upgrading the capabilities of its employees through internal development. In doing so the firm was able to narrow the capability gap vis‐à‐vis its foreign peers and expand its business globally. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A dynamic capabilities-based framework of organizational sensemaking through combinative capabilities towards exploratory and exploitative product innovation in turbulent environments

This study develops a dynamic capabilities-based framework of organizational sensemaking through combinative capabilities towards exploratory and exploitative product innovation. Organizational sensemaking helps organizations develop cognitive maps of turbulent environments through its construction of shared interpretations of environmental changes. We argue, however, that successful exploratory and exploitative product innovation are not guaranteed by organizational sensemaking alone, but instead depend on how firms' capabilities synergistically combine and transform knowledge resources. Organizational sensemaking and combinative capabilities are together positioned as important dynamic capabilities. The dynamic capabilities-based framework is applied to explain why and how organizational sensemaking determining superior exploratory and exploitative product innovation in turbulent environments is realized by combinative capabilities. Furthermore, the paper examines the differential effects of combinative capabilities on the firm's exploratory versus exploitative product innovation. Firms can better understand how to leverage different type of combinative capabilities for optimal outcomes.     

The implications of strategy and social context for the relationship between top management team heterogeneity and firm performance

This research reexamines the link between top management team (TMT) heterogeneity and firm performance. Specifically, I theorize that the effects of education, work experience, and tenure on performance will depend upon the top management team's strategic and social context. In a test of such theorizing, I find that (1) the positive relationships between TMT educational, functional, and tenure heterogeneity and performance are contingent on complexity, as indicated by a firm's international strategy and, (2) such relationships are clearly stronger in short‐tenured top management teams. The theory and results presented here provide impetus for future studies, as well as suggest to upper echelon researchers that they think more critically about the conditions under which demographic characteristics are most likely to influence organizational outcomes like performance. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Balancing creativity and time efficiency in multi‐team R&D projects: the alignment of formal and informal networks

The business world is denoted by an increasing number of multi‐team research and development (R&D) projects, however, managerial knowledge about how to run them successfully is scarce. The present study attempts to shed light at this kind of projects by investigating the alignment of formal and informal network structures and their effect on the challenge to balance project creativity and time efficiency. In order to analyze this issue data in two multi‐team R&D projects in space industry are collected. There are two intriguing findings that are partly contradicting the state‐of‐the‐art knowledge. First, formally ascribed design interfaces and informal communication networks overlap only marginally because the informal communication networks are characterized by many more linkages. Second, the weak overlap between formally ascribed design interfaces and the informal communication networks is inversely U‐shaped associated with the team's creativity, whereas it negatively impacts the team's time efficiency.     

Contingencies within dynamic managerial capabilities: interdependent effects of resource investment and deployment on firm performance

Dynamic managerial capabilities focus on managers' resource‐related decisions. Asset orchestration, a central component of dynamic managerial capabilities and of resource management, highlights the importance of integrating (matching) resource investment and deployment decisions. Building on these recent theoretical advances, we examine the contingent nature of resource investment and deployment decisions. The results, based on a sample of banking firms, indicate that firm performance suffers when managers' investment decisions deviate from the norms of rivals for both human and physical capital. However, when deployment decisions support investment decisions, greater investment deviation, both high and low, generally enhances performance. Specifically, firm performance is optimized by making congruent resource investment and deployment decisions as opposed to maximizing or economizing either decision independently. Therefore, resource management via asset orchestration is vital for superior performance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strategic human capital management in the context of cross‐industry and within‐industry mobility frictions

Research Summary: We develop and test a theory examining how frictions that restrict mobility across industries and frictions constraining mobility within an industry can co‐occur to effectively isolate individual human capital, ultimately changing the firm's make‐versus‐buy decision for human capital. Empirically, we demonstrate that when cross‐industry frictions in the form of limited skill transferability and within‐industry frictions in the form of noncompete enforceability are both present, employees exhibit longer tenures, firms hire workers with less initial experience, firms change the amount and nature of training provided, and wages marginally increase. These findings suggest that sufficiently strong and complementary mobility frictions shift the emphasis of firms’ human capital management practices toward internal development of human capital relative to acquisition on the external market. Managerial Summary : In the face of frictions to employee mobility both within and across industries, which we capture empirically using measures of noncompete enforceability and limited skill transferability across industries, firms tend to hire less experienced workers, such workers exhibit longer tenures, and firms invest more in their training, particularly in the development of new skills. Our findings imply that for firms operating under such complementary frictions, better hiring and internal development capabilities are particularly important for performance, while those firms without such capabilities may benefit from considering ways to circumvent the mobility frictions, including moving out of the focal state or lobbying for different noncompete laws.     

All experience is not created equal: learning,adapting, and focusing in product portfolio management

This study explores the contingencies relating firm experience to product development capabilities, focusing on experience type (breadth versus depth) and timing (prior versus concurrent). Results from empirical tests in the U.S. mutual fund industry offer two primary findings. First, firms increase proficiency at adapting their processes to address new opportunities as they accumulate experience in entering new niches, but face initial hurdles broadening their experience base. Second, concurrent learning is capacity constrained, as product quality increases in the number of products introduced simultaneously in one niche, but quality decreases as the firm's concurrent portfolio of new products broadens. Jointly, these findings highlight that dynamic capabilities are built through prior adaptation experience and that management of a product development portfolio is an important managerial capability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Choose to Fight or Choose to Flee? A Network Embeddedness Perspective of Executive Ship Jumping in Declining Firms

Research summary: Executives in declining firms may engage in ship‐jumping behavior (i.e., voluntarily move to new employers before the failure occurs) to avoid the stigma of failure. However, it is unclear how executives decide whether or not to jump ship. Building on a network embeddedness perspective, we highlight how three network‐based indicators (i.e., executive social capital, the social capital of other peers in the declining firm, and the declining firm's alliance network) influence the executive‐level ship‐jumping decision by shaping its benefits and opportunity costs. Using data from executives at failing firms in China, we find support for our hypothesized relationships. Our research provides important insight into the network mechanisms driving the ship‐jumping decision. Managerial summary: Executives at failing firms have a choice: stay and attempt to rescue the firm from failure or exit and avoid the stigma of the failure (i.e., jump ship). Yet, little is known about what factors affect this choice. We propose that social capital plays an important role in the decision. Our evidence from specially treated (*ST) public firms in China finds that ship jumping is lowest at low and high values of social capital, and highest at moderate levels of social capital (an inverted U‐shaped relationship). In addition, higher levels of peer social capital (in the declining firm) as well as a well‐established firm‐level alliance network discourage the ship‐jumping choice. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Firm management of scientific information: Some predictors and implications of openness versus secrecy

This paper presents a model that seeks to understand and explain R&D performance differences in research-intensive companies. The primary theoretical model builds on the well-established theory of science as a public good but augments it with a game-theoretic argument for individual firm choices of scientific information openness or secrecy. The first research question we address is how a firm's scientific information openness, as measured by its research publications, impacts the firm's stock of technical knowledge. Additionally, we explore two predictor variables of scientific information openness: research lab and top management team demographics. The possible economic effects and other managerial implications of this model are also discussed.