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The Broken Wheel: The Inseparability Of Autonomy And Control In Innovation Within Organizations

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  • Steven P. Feldman

Abstract

There is an ambiguity at the centre of our understanding of innovation in large, specialized organizations. The literature is split as to whether individual autonomy or hierarchical control leads to an increase in innovative activity. In this article, I argue that this uncertainty is the result of an inappropriate conceptualization. In my view, autonomy and control are inseparable aspects of managerial action, not independent empirical phenomena. Innovation in an organization requires the simultaneous regulation of autonomy and control in order to promote creativity and experimentation but still produce results that can be manufactured and marketed or institutionalized. I develop an interpretive concept of culture to analyse the relationship between autonomy and control, and I apply this conceptual framework to managers and engineers in an electronics company as they attempt to innovate. Four general conclusions emerge. First, autonomy and innovation can never be ends in themselves but always depend on a context of control for their relevance to the organization. Second, under conditions in which innovation is required and autonomous behaviour is important, general management control is needed as a sort of switching station to regulate interaction and set and enforce priorities. Third, when control and autonomy are not in balance a vicious circle can develop which undermines commitment to an organization's goals. Fourth, innovation in organizations requires participants to have a highly developed sense of the legitimate possibilities of autonomy in organization.

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  • Steven P. Feldman, 1989. "The Broken Wheel: The Inseparability Of Autonomy And Control In Innovation Within Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 83-102, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:26:y:1989:i:2:p:83-102
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.1989.tb00719.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Dankbaar, Ben & Vissers, Geert, 2009. "Of knowledge and work," MPIfG Working Paper 09/16, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    2. Li, Keyao & Griffin, Mark A., 2023. "Unpacking human systems in data science innovations: Key innovator perspectives," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    3. Johnson, William H.A., 2011. "Managing university technology development using organizational control theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 842-852, July.
    4. Katsuhiko (Katsu) Shimizu, 2012. "Risks of Corporate Entrepreneurship: Autonomy and Agency Issues," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 194-206, February.
    5. Gómez, Henry & Dávila, Carlos, 2007. "Indigenous management practices: insights from Latin America," Galeras. Working Papers Series 018, Universidad de Los Andes. Facultad de Administración. School of Management.
    6. Irene Herremans & Robert Isaac & Theresa Kline & Jamal Nazari, 2011. "Intellectual Capital and Uncertainty of Knowledge: Control by Design of the Management System," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 98(4), pages 627-640, February.
    7. Alena V. Pivavarava & Christel Koop, 2023. "The adoption of digital practices by economic regulators: mapping digital pathways for consumer e-participation," Economics Series Working Papers 1013, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    8. Huang, Mu-Hsuan & Chen, Dar-Zen, 2017. "How can academic innovation performance in university–industry collaboration be improved?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 210-215.
    9. Malik, Ashish & Kumar, Satish & Basu, Shubhabrata & Bebenroth, Ralf, 2023. "Managing disruptive technologies for innovative healthcare solutions: The role of high-involvement work systems and technologically-mediated relational coordination," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

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