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Structural knowledge: how executive experience with structural composition affects intrafirm mobility and unit reconfiguration

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  • Samina Karim
  • Charles Williams

Abstract

This article explores how knowledge embodied in executives is tied to the organizational context in which it develops. Drawing on the knowledge‐based view of the firm and human capital theory, we predict that executives will move between units with similar ‘structural composition’—a characteristic representing unit origin (as acquired or internally developed) and how the unit was reconfigured. We further argue that executives will be conduits of organizational change. We predict that units receiving more transferred executives, executives with recombination experience, and executives from core internal units will have a greater likelihood of being recombined, while units receiving executives from previously acquired units will tend to remain unchanged. The study examines a 20‐year panel of 48 multidivisional firms from the U.S. medical sector. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Samina Karim & Charles Williams, 2012. "Structural knowledge: how executive experience with structural composition affects intrafirm mobility and unit reconfiguration," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(6), pages 681-709, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:stratm:v:33:y:2012:i:6:p:681-709
    DOI: 10.1002/smj.1967
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    Cited by:

    1. Vibha Gaba & John Joseph, 2013. "Corporate Structure and Performance Feedback: Aspirations and Adaptation in M-Form Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 1102-1119, August.
    2. Evan Starr & Martin Ganco & Benjamin A. Campbell, 2018. "Strategic human capital management in the context of cross‐industry and within‐industry mobility frictions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(8), pages 2226-2254, August.
    3. Guiyang Zhang, 2021. "Employee co-invention network dynamics and firm exploratory innovation: the moderation of employee co-invention network centralization and knowledge-employee network equilibrium," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(9), pages 7811-7836, September.
    4. Bednarska-Wnuk Izabela, 2022. "Strategic approach for Polish organizations to implement intraorganizational mobility of employees," International Journal of Contemporary Management, Sciendo, vol. 58(3), pages 1-10, September.
    5. Heejung Byun & Joseph Raffiee & Martin Ganco, 2019. "Discontinuities in the Value of Relational Capital: The Effects on Employee Entrepreneurship and Mobility," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(6), pages 1368-1393, November.
    6. David Tan & Christopher I. Rider, 2017. "Let them go? How losing employees to competitors can enhance firm status," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(9), pages 1848-1874, September.
    7. Edward Felten & Manav Raj & Robert Seamans, 2021. "Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(12), pages 2195-2217, December.
    8. Forrest Briscoe & Michelle Rogan, 2016. "Coordinating Complex Work: Knowledge Networks, Partner Departures, and Client Relationship Performance in a Law Firm," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(8), pages 2392-2411, August.
    9. Sharon Belenzon & Ulya Tsolmon, 2016. "Market frictions and the competitive advantage of internal labor markets," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1280-1303, July.
    10. Castellani, Davide & Perri, Alessandra & Scalera, Vittoria G., 2022. "Knowledge integration in multinational enterprises: The role of inventors crossing national and organizational boundaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    11. Rickley, Marketa & Karim, Samina, 2018. "Managing institutional distance: Examining how firm-specific advantages impact foreign subsidiary CEO staffing," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 740-751.
    12. Stéphane J. G. Girod & Richard Whittington, 2017. "Reconfiguration, restructuring and firm performance: Dynamic capabilities and environmental dynamism," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 1121-1133, May.
    13. Guo, Min & Yang, Naiding & Wang, Jingbei & Zhang, Yanlu & Wang, Yan, 2021. "How do structural holes promote network expansion?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    14. Samina Karim & Chi‐Hyon Lee & Manuela N. Hoehn‐Weiss, 2023. "Task bottlenecks and resource bottlenecks: A holistic examination of task systems through an organization design lens," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(8), pages 1839-1878, August.
    15. Prithwiraj Choudhury, 2017. "Innovation Outcomes in a Distributed Organization: Intrafirm Mobility and Access to Resources," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 339-354, April.
    16. Stéphane J. G. Girod & Richard Whittington, 2015. "Change Escalation Processes and Complex Adaptive Systems: From Incremental Reconfigurations to Discontinuous Restructuring," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(5), pages 1520-1535, October.
    17. Federica Ceci & Francesca Masciarelli & Andrea Prencipe, 2016. "Changes in Organizational Architecture: Aspiration Levels, Performance Gaps and Organizational Change," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(01), pages 1-21, February.
    18. Cirillo, Bruno & Breschi, Stefano & Prencipe, Andrea, 2018. "Divide to connect: Reorganization through R&D unit spinout as linking context of intra-corporate networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(9), pages 1585-1600.
    19. Vibha Gaba & Gina Dokko, 2016. "Learning to let go: Social influence, learning, and the abandonment of corporate venture capital practices," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(8), pages 1558-1577, August.
    20. Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury & Tarun Khanna & Victoria Sevcenko, 2023. "Firm-Induced Migration Paths and Strategic Human-Capital Outcomes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 419-445, January.
    21. Y. Sekou Bermiss & Johann P. Murmann, 2015. "Who matters more? The impact of functional background and top executive mobility on firm survival," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(11), pages 1697-1716, November.
    22. Marlo Raveendran, 2020. "Seeds of change: How current structure shapes the type and timing of reorganizations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(1), pages 27-54, January.
    23. Christian Geisler Asmussen & Marcus M. Larsen & Torben Pedersen, 2016. "Organizational Adaptation in Offshoring: The Relative Performance of Home- and Host-Based Learning Strategies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(4), pages 911-928, August.
    24. Sea‐Jin Chang & Yoichi Matsumoto, 2022. "Dynamic resource redeployment in global semiconductor firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 237-265, February.

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