IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v14y2024i8p169-d1451505.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Competing in Innovation-Intensive Environments: The Role of Soft Power, Learning, and CEO Heuristics

Author

Listed:
  • Cristina O. Vlas

    (Management Department, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT 06516, USA)

  • Bruno Barreto de Góes

    (Management Department, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT 06516, USA)

  • Radu E. Vlas

    (Management Information Systems Department, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050, USA)

  • Eugene See

    (Management and Decision Sciences Department, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC 29528, USA)

Abstract

We start by exploring how the interplay of soft power and learning levers helps firms address competitive uncertainty in innovation-intensive environments (IIEs). We then theorize that firms’ motivation to pursue a specific combination of soft power and learning tactics in IIEs is shaped by CEO regulatory focus. The analysis of a panel of IIE firms supports our theorizing and reveals that accounting for CEO regulatory focus is elemental to the understanding of firms’ performance heterogeneity in such environments. We conclude that a perspective focused on a combination of soft power and learning tactics is better fitted to explain firms’ performance in environments plagued by extreme uncertainty compared to traditional theoretical lenses. Our main contribution is to the study of performance in innovation-intensive environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina O. Vlas & Bruno Barreto de Góes & Radu E. Vlas & Eugene See, 2024. "Competing in Innovation-Intensive Environments: The Role of Soft Power, Learning, and CEO Heuristics," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-22, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:169-:d:1451505
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/14/8/169/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/14/8/169/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. M. C. Guardo & K. R. Harrigan, 2016. "Shaping the path to inventive activity: the role of past experience in R&D alliances," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 250-269, April.
    2. Ron Adner & Rahul Kapoor, 2016. "Innovation ecosystems and the pace of substitution: Re-examining technology S-curves," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 625-648, April.
    3. Dahlin, Kristina & Chuang, You-Ta & Roulet, Thomas J, 2018. "Opportunity, Motivation, and Ability to Learn from Failures and Errors: Review, Synthesis, and Ways to Move Forward," SocArXiv 4qwzh, Center for Open Science.
    4. Linda Argote & Bill McEvily & Ray Reagans, 2003. "Managing Knowledge in Organizations: An Integrative Framework and Review of Emerging Themes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(4), pages 571-582, April.
    5. Brockner, Joel & Higgins, E. Tory & Low, Murray B., 2004. "Regulatory focus theory and the entrepreneurial process," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 203-220, March.
    6. Grillitsch, Markus & Schubert, Torben & Srholec, Martin, 2019. "Knowledge base combinations and firm growth," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 234-247.
    7. Aija Leiponen & Constance E. Helfat, 2010. "Innovation objectives, knowledge sources, and the benefits of breadth," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 224-236, February.
    8. Shawna O'Grady & Henry W Lane, 1996. "The Psychic Distance Paradox," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(2), pages 309-333, June.
    9. Kris Boudt & James Thewissen, 2019. "Jockeying for Position in CEO Letters: Impression Management and Sentiment Analytics," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 48(1), pages 77-115, March.
    10. Annosi, Maria Carmela & Martini, Antonella & Brunetta, Federica & Marchegiani, Lucia, 2020. "Learning in an agile setting: A multilevel research study on the evolution of organizational routines," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 554-566.
    11. Juha Uotila & Markku Maula & Thomas Keil & Shaker A. Zahra, 2009. "Exploration, exploitation, and financial performance: analysis of S&P 500 corporations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 221-231, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Parker, Owen N. & Mui, Rachel & Bhawe, Nachiket & Semadeni, Matthew, 2022. "Insight or ignorance: How collaborative history in a workgroup fits with project type to shape performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 154-167.
    2. Valle, Sandra & García, Francisco & Avella, Lucía, 2015. "Offshoring Intermediate Manufacturing: Boost or Hindrance to Firm Innovation?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 117-134.
    3. Linda Argote & Sunkee Lee & Jisoo Park, 2021. "Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5399-5429, September.
    4. Andreea N. Kiss & Dirk Libaers & Pamela S. Barr & Tang Wang & Miles A. Zachary, 2020. "CEO cognitive flexibility, information search, and organizational ambidexterity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(12), pages 2200-2233, December.
    5. Kedong Chen & Xiaojin (Jim) Liu & Yuhong Li & Kevin Linderman, 2023. "Government support and cross‐border innovation: The effect of China's innovative city policy on Chinese firms' patenting in the United States," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(6), pages 1793-1811, June.
    6. Yan, Ji & Tsinopoulos, Christos & Xiong, Yu, 2021. "Unpacking the impact of innovation ambidexterity on export performance: Microfoundations and infrastructure investment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    7. Chunpei Lin & Baixun Li & Yenchun Jim Wu, 2018. "Existing Knowledge Assets and Disruptive Innovation: The Role of Knowledge Embeddedness and Specificity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, January.
    8. Emanuele L. M. Bettinazzi & Maurizio Zollo, 2022. "Stakeholder Orientation and Experiential Learning: Evidence from Corporate Acquisitions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1422-1459, September.
    9. Marc Gruber & Ian C. MacMillan & James D. Thompson, 2013. "Escaping the Prior Knowledge Corridor: What Shapes the Number and Variety of Market Opportunities Identified Before Market Entry of Technology Start-ups?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 280-300, February.
    10. Makela, Kristiina & Kalla, Hanna K. & Piekkari, Rebecca, 2007. "Interpersonal similarity as a driver of knowledge sharing within multinational corporations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 1-22, February.
    11. Yan, Tingting & Azadegan, Arash, 2017. "Comparing inter-organizational new product development strategies: Buy or ally; Supply-chain or non-supply-chain partners?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(PA), pages 21-38.
    12. Kim, Bongsun & Kim, Eonsoo & Foss, Nicolai J., 2016. "Balancing absorptive capacity and inbound open innovation for sustained innovative performance: An attention-based view," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 80-90.
    13. Dong, Caiting & Liu, Xielin & Tang, Fangcheng & Qiu, Shumin, 2023. "How upstream innovativeness of ecosystems affects firms' innovation: The contingent role of absorptive capacity and upstream dependence," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    14. Schäper, Thomas & Jung, Christopher & Foege, Johann Nils & Bogers, Marcel L.A.M. & Fainshmidt, Stav & Nüesch, Stephan, 2023. "The S-shaped relationship between open innovation and financial performance: A longitudinal perspective using a novel text-based measure," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    15. Sinha, Avik, 2015. "Organizational Productivity and Absorptive Capacity: A Conceptual Modeling," MPRA Paper 102308, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2015.
    16. Weidner, Nadia & Som, Oliver & Horvat, Djerdj, 2023. "An integrated conceptual framework for analysing heterogeneous configurations of absorptive capacity in manufacturing firms with the DUI innovation mode," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    17. Schomaker, Margaret Spring & Zaheer, Srilata, 2014. "The Role of Language in Knowledge Transfer to Geographically Dispersed Manufacturing Operations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 55-72.
    18. Xie, Xuemei & Wang, Lijun & Zeng, Saixing, 2018. "Inter-organizational knowledge acquisition and firms' radical innovation: A moderated mediation analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 295-306.
    19. Peeters, T.J.G., 2013. "External knowledge search and use in new product development," Other publications TiSEM 300ebb34-b090-4210-b95e-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    20. Sousa, Carlos M.P. & Bradley, Frank, 2008. "Antecedents of international pricing adaptation and export performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 307-320, July.

    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:gam:jadmsc:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:169-:d:1451505. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.