What a Diverse Top Management Team Means: Testing an Integrated Model

Prior research has produced inconsistent results on the relationship between top management team (TMT) diversity and firm performance. Drawing on the information–social categorization framework, this study is designed to investigate both the mechanism and the contextual factors underlying the relationship between TMT cognitive diversity and firm performance by examining them in a unified model so as to better understand how a diverse TMT works. Based on a multi‐sourced survey of top managers from 118 Chinese firms, this study finds that team interdependence and team cohesion moderate in the linkage between TMT cognitive diversity and elaboration of task‐related information. In addition, TMT's elaboration of task‐related information mediates the interactive effects of TMT cognitive diversity and team interdependence on firm performance as well as the interactive effects of TMT cognitive diversity and team cohesion on firm performance.     

Top management team's vision and human resources management practices in innovative Spanish companies

The objective of the article is to analyse whether the strategic vision of the top management team (TMT) and the way employees working in teams are rewarded and assessed affect companies' innovation performance. The study was carried out on a sample of 97 Spanish companies belonging to the three most innovative sectors based on number of patents registered. The results indicate that the top management team's strategic vision alone does not explain a company's innovation performance. Innovation also requires the existence of compensation practices based on the ideas generated and developed by project teams. These results offer relevant implications for the TMT and the managers of the research and development (R&D) and human resources (HR) functions about the way teams should be rewarded and supported in order to improve the company's innovation efforts.     

How Does Executive Strategic Human Resource Management Link to Organizational Ambidexterity? An Empirical Examination of Manufacturing Firms in China

Despite a plethora of studies that demonstrate the positive impact of strategic human resource management on firm performance, existing knowledge of the processes through which such gains can be achieved remains limited. This study aims to extend our knowledge by investigating the mechanism through which a teamwork‐oriented executive strategic human resource management system impacts organizational ambidexterity. Specifically, by integrating the resource‐based view and information‐processing theory, we examine the mediating role of top management team effectiveness and the moderating role of knowledge–sharing intensity from middle managers to top management teams. Drawing on a multiple‐source and multiple‐respondent survey from 144 manufacturing firms in China, we show that top management team effectiveness partially mediates the effect of the executive strategic human resource management system on organizational ambidexterity. Moreover, knowledge‐sharing intensity from middle managers to top management teams strengthens the effect of the executive strategic human resource management system on organizational ambidexterity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Leading corporate sustainability: The role of top management team composition for triple bottom line performance

Sustainable development at the corporate level requires balancing social, environmental, and financial performance goals. Achieving such “triple bottom line” (TBL) performance is a very challenging task. In this study, we explore the role the organization's top management team (TMT) plays in leading their organization towards corporate sustainability. We focus on how two distinct aspects of the TMT's structural composition—the presence of a “chief sustainability officer” (CSO) and the TMT's functional diversity—affect the organization's ability to reach high levels of TBL performance. We follow the presence of 22 global energy companies in Corporate Knight's “Global 100” sustainability index for a period of 11 years and find that, surprisingly, the presence of a CSO does not boost TBL performance. However, we do find a positive effect for TMT functional diversity, suggesting that more diverse TMTs are better able to lead their organization to higher levels of TBL performance.     

高管团队异质性与企业战略变革

高层管理团队在企业战略管理中发挥着决定性作用,是企业战略变革的关键因素之一。高层管理团队异质性会对团队的内部沟通、凝聚力以及决策的效率和质量产生影响,最终对企业的战略变革产生影响。本文首先对国内外高管团队异质性的相关研究进行文献综述,在此基础上提出高层管理异质性对战略变革的影响取决于高管团队能否达成战略变革共识。战略变革共识的达成则要求高管团队整合和利用异质性带来的资源丰富性,并且正确处理团队冲突。     

A temporal perspective on the relationship between top management team internationalization and firms' innovativeness

This study examines whether top management team (TMT) internationalization is positively related to firm innovativeness. Besides focusing on the accumulation of top managers' international knowledge and capabilities, we explore the influence of moderators reflecting temporal concerns at three levels: CEO age, TMT tenure, and firm age. Combining upper echelons theory with innovation literature and using a sample of large stock-listed German firms, we demonstrate that TMT internationalization can increase firm innovativeness. This relationship is context-dependent on the age of the CEO. Overall, this paper sheds light on the antecedents of firm innovativeness and the consequences of increasingly international TMTs.     

Linking top management team age heterogeneity to firm performance: juxtaposing two mid-range theories

Previous research on top management team heterogeneity and firm performance has focused almost exclusively on the non-visible attributes (e.g. functional background, tenure) of cultural diversity as opposed to the visible attributes (e.g. age, race and gender). The few studies there are show inconsistent results. For example, most field work - consistent with social identity theory notions - shows that cultural diversity, in isolation has negative organizational consequences. Only a few laboratory studies, however - consistent with information and decision-making theories - show that diversity in groups relates to favourable organizational outcomes. As social identity theory suggests, we find that top management team (TMT) age heterogeneity, in isolation, relates negatively to return on assets. On sales growth (i.e. organizational growth), the relationship is positive, lending support for information and decision-making theories. However, we find a curvilinear relationship between TMT age heterogeneity and sales growth, supporting both the mid-range theories. More specifically, TMT age heterogeneity is positively related to sales growth at low and medium levels and negatively related to sales growth at high levels. In addition, results reveal that context moderates linear and non-linear relationships. The results provide evidence of the importance of cultural diversity in TMTs for competitive advantage but also suggest the complexities of increasing it to observe these benefits.     

建立高层管理团队的时机分析

在管理实践中,是不是任何时候都需要建立高层管理团队?本文旨在对建立高层管理团队时机进行分析。首先从高层管理者工作入手,在明茨伯格关于管理者角色研究的基础上,得出并不是任何时候都需要建立高层管理团队。最后提出应根据所面临问题的难易程度和不确定性水平高低,来确定不同的工作模式,并提出了在每种模式下管理者应发挥的作用。     

Stimulating teachers’ team performance through team-oriented HR practices: the roles of affective team commitment and information processing

Abstract

Teams of teachers are increasingly held accountable for the quality of education and educational reforms in vocational education and training institutions. However, historically teachers have not been required to engage in deep-level collaboration, thus team-oriented HR practices are being used to promote teamworking in the sector. This paper examines the relationship between team-oriented HR practices and team performance in terms of innovation and efficiency via teachers’ affective team commitment and engagement in information processing. To examine these associations, a team-oriented HRM research instrument was developed and validated based on the ability-motivation-opportunity model (N = 970, 130 teams) and hypothesised associations were examined using multilevel structural equation modelling (N = 704, 70 teams). The results show positive relationships between the team-oriented HR practices of recruitment, team development, team evaluation and teamwork facilitation, and team innovation. Additionally, all practices except team development were positively related to team efficiency. The relationships between team-oriented HR practices and these team performance indicators were often partially or fully mediated by affective team commitment and information processing. Because affective team commitment and information processing sometimes only partially mediated the links between team-oriented HR practices and team performance, other underlying mechanisms await identification.     

Conflict Management for Effective Top Management Teams and Innovation in China*

abstract Top management teams may be critical for developing organizations that can keep abreast of marketplace changes and innovate. Several streams of strategy research have argued that conflict and diversity promote top management team effectiveness. This study proposes that how top management teams manage conflict can greatly contribute to their effective leadership of organizational innovation. A total of 378 executives from 105 organizations in China completed measures of conflict management (cooperative, competitive, and avoiding) and productive conflict (an outcome of conflict). Separately, 105 CEOs from these firms indicated their team's effectiveness and their organization's innovativeness. Results support the theory that conflict management can contribute to making top management teams effective. Structural equation analysis suggests that cooperative conflict management promotes productive conflict and top management team effectiveness that in turn result in organizational innovation. These results, coupled with previous research, were interpreted as suggesting that cooperative conflict management is an important contributor to effective top management teams even in the collectivist culture of China.     

高层管理团队（TMT）有效性的动态模型——人口特征研究与情景领导研究的结合

高层管理团队（Top management team．TMT）作为团队的一种特殊形式，因为其有效性对企业的生存发展起到至关重要的作用．所以近年来受到国内外学者的广泛关注。但是。在过去的文献研究中，我们不难发现，学者较多研究的是TMT在人口特征（年龄，教育背景等）的异质性同不同企业绩效指标之间的关系。但是不同学者的研究结果却往往相互矛盾。为了解释不同研究结果的差异，我们结合权变理论，提出了一个动态模型，来更好地分析TMT的有效性。     

高管团队人力资本与权力配置差异化程度的关系研究

本文在权力配置上采用权力配置差异化程度作为潜变量指标,提出假设,构建模型;通过对110个高管团队的实证调查,利用PLS结构方程模型,分析高管团队特征与权力配置差异化程度的关系、高管团队能力结构与权力配置差异化程度的关系、高管团队价值取向与权力配置差异化程度的关系。最终揭示出团队权力配置合理化,需要提高整个团队的人力资本含量,可以通过选拔更有经验的员工,有好的教育背景的员工,有较好的管理技能的员工作为高层管理团队的成员,以提高TMT能力结构。与此同时,通过培养TMT成员的责任感、诚信精神和协同合作精神来提高TMT能力结构,也是必不可少的。     

Multi-cultural leadership teams and organizational identification in international joint ventures

Many international joint ventures (IJVs) fare poorly. An important factor is that members of an IJV top management team (TMT), which generally comprises people from different cultures, often find it difficult to work together. In this paper we argue that social identity theory and organizational identification processes can help us understand why this is so. We propose that factionalism in a TMT is a significant hazard posed by member identification with different parents. In addition, identification with both the IJV and a parent firm can lead to significant role conflict for IJV top managers. Factionalism and role conflict in turn can result in poor intra-TMT communications and inefficient decision making. Literature in social identity theory and organizational identification suggests that the relative status and power of parents as well as successes of IJVs can affect TMT members' identification with the IJV or the parent company. Preliminary field interviews provide general support for these propositions. Our analysis suggests that organizational identity and identification can be a valuable tool to facilitate the understanding of TMT functioning and IJV performance.     

Affective diversity and emotional intelligence in cross-functional sourcing teams

In cross-functional sourcing teams, differences in goals and personality traits can lead to tensions and reduced effectiveness. Diversity in teams can be conceptualized as surface-level diversity (e.g., gender, nationality) or as deep-level diversity (e.g., personality, attitudes). This study investigates the potentially negative effects of one category of deep-level diversity – namely, affective trait diversity – on sourcing team performance and how such negative effects might be mitigated through team members' emotional intelligence. The study analyzes a sample of 88 sourcing teams (234 team members) using moderated regression analyses. Sourcing team cohesion is found to fully mediate the relationship between affective diversity and team performance, while the collective emotional intelligence of the sourcing team positively moderates the diversity-cohesion relationship (moderated mediation). Thus, this study provides insights into both the mechanics of team diversity and the critical role of collective emotional intelligence in sourcing teams and thereby enables supply managers to better understand cross-functional team setups and effectiveness.     

The human resource management issues during an acquisition: the target firm's top management team and key managers

When a company is acquired, the amount of money paid for the company is normally some multiple of earnings. The assumption is that the purchase price is higher than the tangible assets of the company. Therefore, the acquirer believes that there is value in the company beyond the balance sheet of the company. Frequently, some percentage of the ‘premium’ paid by the acquiring company is for the top management team and/or key managers. This paper examines the role of the top management team and their retention on the post acquisition performance of the company.     

基于行动导向的高管团队运行机制研究

高管团队是企业的核心决策主体,关系到企业的可持续发展。高管团队运行机制的研究应该将人口统计特征与团队过程相结合,通过建立行动导向决策模型,指出团队认知是高管团队行动的基础;团队调适是高管团队决策的重要保障;高管团队成员经过决策参与、方案议定、决策执行及决策评估完成决策过程。     

研发团队多元性与团队绩效关系的实证研究

研发团队的团队绩效直接影响我国自主创新和经济结构转型。文章在回顾文献的基础上对团队多元性和团队绩效分别提出4个维度进行研究,并通过212份有效问卷的数据分析,采用SPSS统计工具做实证研究。结果表明,研发团队多元性的各个维度对团队绩效的各个维度分别有不同程度的影响。     

The Influence of Top Management Team International Exposure on International Alliance Formation

abstract    This study examines the effect of top management team (TMT) international exposure on the formation of international alliances. We develop our arguments based on relational capital theory to suggest that top executives with international exposure are critical to firms' international alliance formation. Supporting this view, we find that TMT international exposure is positively associated with the formation of international alliances. Moreover, we find evidence to suggest that the effect of TMT international exposure on international alliance formation is more positive as the level of environmental uncertainty increases. We discuss implications and directions for future research.     

研发团队多元性与团队绩效关系的实证研究

研发团队的团队绩效直接影响我国自主创新和经济结构转型。文章在回顾文献的基础上对团队多元性和团队绩效分别提出4个维度进行研究,并通过212份有效问卷的数据分析,采用SPSS统计工具做实证研究。结果表明,研发团队多元性的各个维度对团队绩效的各个维度分别有不同程度的影响。     

Innovating Beyond the Horizon: CEO Career Horizon,Top Management Composition,and R&D Intensity

Decreasing research and development (R&D) can impair the ability of firms to remain innovative in the long run. CEOs have been accused of curtailing R&D investments as they approach expected retirement, yet received findings on R&D investment behaviors of late‐career CEOs are mixed. We argue that one reason for these inconsistent findings could be that traditional approaches overlook the fact that CEOs are not isolated agents in making R&D decisions. We build on the premise that CEOs interact with their top management team (TMT) when shaping R&D strategy and advance a contextualized view of CEO dispositions in their late career stages as being constrained or enabled by their TMT. We hypothesize that some TMT attributes (e.g., tenure and age) may amplify, whereas others (e.g., functional experience and education) may mitigate inclinations to reduce R&D. Our findings, based on a longitudinal sample of 100 US manufacturing firms from 1998 to 2008, provide nuanced insights into how different TMT characteristics influence CEO‐TMT dynamics, with TMT age and TMT tenure playing particularly pronounced roles. We discuss implications of our CEO‐TMT interface approach for theory and practice. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.