IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jobhdp/v149y2018icp1-16.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovate or die: How should knowledge-worker teams respond to technological turbulence?

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Tingting
  • Li, Fuli
  • Chen, Xiao-Ping
  • Ou, Zhanying

Abstract

In this research, we view knowledge-worker teams as open systems that are directly affected by changes in the external environment. Drawing on the strategic contingency perspective of power, we propose and demonstrate that in the face of a turbulent technological environment, knowledge-worker teams should engage in two team processes, namely, de-dependence on established team experts and new knowledge acquisition, to achieve high innovation performance. We conducted two field studies to test our hypotheses. Study 1 had a multi-source, multi-wave design involving 109 new product development (NPD) teams in technology-intensive industries. Study 2 had a multi-source, cross-lagged panel design involving 65 NPD teams in the information technology industry. Results based on the two field studies provide considerable support for our central hypotheses, i.e., the two team processes mediate the relationship between team perception of technological turbulence and team innovation performance and team autonomy enhances the two positive mediated relationships. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings on how and when knowledge-worker teams can reap the innovative benefits from environmental technological turbulence.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Tingting & Li, Fuli & Chen, Xiao-Ping & Ou, Zhanying, 2018. "Innovate or die: How should knowledge-worker teams respond to technological turbulence?," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 1-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:149:y:2018:i:c:p:1-16
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.08.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597817302194
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.08.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew Hargadon & Angelo Fanelli, 2002. "Action and Possibility: Reconciling Dual Perspectives of Knowledge in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 290-302, June.
    2. Michael Song & Cornelia Droge & Sangphet Hanvanich & Roger Calantone, 2005. "Marketing and technology resource complementarity: an analysis of their interaction effect in two environmental contexts," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 259-276, March.
    3. Erwin Danneels & Rajesh Sethi, 2011. "New Product Exploration Under Environmental Turbulence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(4), pages 1026-1039, August.
    4. Deborah Gladstein Ancona & David F. Caldwell, 1992. "Demography and Design: Predictors of New Product Team Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 321-341, August.
    5. Mitchell P. Koza & Arie Y. Lewin, 1998. "The Co-Evolution of Strategic Alliances," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 255-264, June.
    6. Jansen, J.J.P. & van den Bosch, F.A.J. & Volberda, H.W., 2005. "Managing Potential and Realized Absorptive Capacity: How do Organizational Antecedents matter?," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2005-025-STR, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    7. Amy C. Edmondson, 2003. "Speaking Up in the Operating Room: How Team Leaders Promote Learning in Interdisciplinary Action Teams," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1419-1452, September.
    8. Ray Reagans & Ella Miron-Spektor & Linda Argote, 2016. "Knowledge Utilization, Coordination, and Team Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(5), pages 1108-1124, October.
    9. Rajagopal, 2014. "Organizations and Innovation," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 3, pages 58-86, Palgrave Macmillan.
    10. Kevin Zheng Zhou & Fang Wu, 2010. "Technological capability, strategic flexibility, and product innovation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 547-561, May.
    11. Gerben S. Van der Vegt & Simon B. de Jong & J. Stuart Bunderson & Eric Molleman, 2010. "Power Asymmetry and Learning in Teams: The Moderating Role of Performance Feedback," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 347-361, April.
    12. Stephanie A. Fernhaber & Pankaj C. Patel, 2012. "How do young firms manage product portfolio complexity? The role of absorptive capacity and ambidexterity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(13), pages 1516-1539, December.
    13. P. M. Bentler & Chih-Ping Chou, 1987. "Practical Issues in Structural Modeling," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 16(1), pages 78-117, August.
    14. Albert Satorra & Peter Bentler, 2010. "Ensuring Positiveness of the Scaled Difference Chi-square Test Statistic," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 75(2), pages 243-248, June.
    15. David A. Kenny & Burcu Kaniskan & D. Betsy McCoach, 2015. "The Performance of RMSEA in Models With Small Degrees of Freedom," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 44(3), pages 486-507, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yuntao Bai & Lili Lu & Li Lin-Schilstra, 2022. "Auxiliaries to Abusive Supervisors: The Spillover Effects of Peer Mistreatment on Employee Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 219-237, June.
    2. Aida Ahmed Zahrani, 2022. "Team Creativity and Green Human Resource Management Practices’ Mediating Roles in Organizational Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-24, October.
    3. Li, Chang-Jun & Li, Fuli & Chen, Tingting & Michael Crant, J., 2022. "Proactive personality and promotability: Mediating roles of promotive and prohibitive voice and moderating roles of organizational politics and leader-member exchange," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 253-267.
    4. Xie, Xiao-Yun & Wei, Junjie & Hu, Qiongjing & Liao, Zhenyu, 2023. "Is the door really open? A contingent model of boundary spanning behavior and abusive supervisory behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    5. Edith Galy, 2019. "Perceiving Value In Organisational Innovation: Building A Culture Of Change," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 24(03), pages 1-24, December.
    6. Tugkan Arici & M. Sahin Gok, 2023. "Examining Environmental Turbulence Intensity: A Strategic Agility and Innovativeness Approach on Firm Performance in Environmental Turbulence Situations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Breidenthal, Amy P. & Liu, Dong & Bai, Yuntao & Mao, Yina, 2020. "The dark side of creativity: Coworker envy and ostracism as a response to employee creativity," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 242-254.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dario Blanco-Fernandez & Stephan Leitner & Alexandra Rausch, 2022. "Interactions between the individual and the group level in organizations: The case of learning and autonomous group adaptation," Papers 2203.09162, arXiv.org.
    2. Jin Li & Lulu Zhou & Xufan Zhang & Zhihong Chen & Feng Tian, 2018. "Technological Configuration Capability, Strategic Flexibility, and Organizational Performance in Chinese High-Tech Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Yildiz, H. Emre & Murtic, Adis & Zander, Udo, 2024. "Re-conceptualizing absorptive capacity: The importance of teams as a meso-level context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    4. Xin Liu & Lin Zhang & Abhinav Gupta & Xiaoming Zheng & Changqi Wu, 2022. "Upper echelons and intra‐organizational learning: How executive narcissism affects knowledge transfer among business units," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(11), pages 2351-2381, November.
    5. Wang, Liwen & Zhao, Jane Zheng & Zhou, Kevin Zheng, 2018. "How do incentives motivate absorptive capacity development? The mediating role of employee learning and relational contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 226-237.
    6. Yu Zhou & Guangjian Liu & Xiaoxi Chang & Ying Hong, 2021. "Top-down, bottom-up or outside-in? An examination of triadic mechanisms on firm innovation in Chinese firms," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(1), pages 131-162, February.
    7. Sunkee Lee, 2019. "Learning-by-Moving: Can Reconfiguring Spatial Proximity Between Organizational Members Promote Individual-level Exploration?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 467-488, May.
    8. Liu, Yi & Liao, Yonghai & Li, Yuan, 2018. "Capability configuration, ambidexterity and performance: Evidence from service outsourcing sector," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 343-352.
    9. Manis, K.T. & Madhavaram, Sreedhar, 2023. "AI-Enabled marketing capabilities and the hierarchy of capabilities: Conceptualization, proposition development, and research avenues," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    10. Anna S. Cui & Fang Wu, 2016. "Utilizing customer knowledge in innovation: antecedents and impact of customer involvement on new product performance," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 516-538, July.
    11. H. Emre Yildiz & Adis Murtic & Udo Zander & Anders Richtnér, 2019. "What Fosters Individual-Level Absorptive Capacity in MNCs? An Extended Motivation–Ability–Opportunity Framework," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 93-129, February.
    12. Anne Parmigiani & Jennifer Irwin & Brooke Lahneman, 2022. "Building greener motorhomes: How dual‐purpose technical and relational capabilities affect component and full product innovation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1110-1140, June.
    13. Stern Neill & Gurmeet Singh & Raghuvar Dutt Pathak, 2014. "Technology and Marketing Capabilities in a Developing Economic Context: Assessing the Resource-Based View within a Boundary Condition," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 13(1), pages 75-92, June.
    14. Mengmeng Meng & Jiasu Lei & Jie Jiao & Qiuyan Tao, 2020. "How does strategic flexibility affect bricolage: The moderating role of environmental turbulence," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-18, August.
    15. Zheng, Lu & Ulrich, Klaus & Sendra-García, Javier, 2021. "Qualitative comparative analysis: Configurational paths to innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 83-93.
    16. Arie Y. Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2011. "Microfoundations of Internal and External Absorptive Capacity Routines," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 81-98, February.
    17. José Luis Ferreras-Méndez & Anabel Fernández-Mesa & Joaquín Alegre, 2019. "Export Performance in SMEs: The Importance of External Knowledge Search Strategies and Absorptive Capacity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 413-437, June.
    18. Li, Zhengyu, 2016. "Essays on knowledge sourcing and technological capability : A knowledge structure perspective," Other publications TiSEM b8ff31fc-c57b-4bc3-b5a4-0, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    19. Mariano, Stefania & Al-Arrayed, Suad, 2018. "Combinations of absorptive capacity metaroutines: The role of organizational disruptions and time constraints," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 171-182.
    20. Sara Alonso-Muñoz & Rocío González-Sánchez & Cristina Siligardi & Fernando Enrique García-Muiña, 2021. "Building Exploitation Routines in the Circular Supply Chain to Obtain Radical Innovations," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-18, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:149:y:2018:i:c:p:1-16. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/obhdp .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.