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Social Connections Within Executive Teams and Management Forecasts

Author

Listed:
  • Ruihao Ke

    (Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275)

  • Meng Li

    (Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080)

  • Zhejia Ling

    (Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011)

  • Yuan Zhang

    (Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080)

Abstract

We examine the role of teamwork within the top executive teams in generating management forecasts. Using social connections within the executive team to capture the team’s interaction, cooperation, and teamwork, we find that social connections among team members are associated with higher management forecast accuracy, consistent with economic theories that information is dispersed within a firm and with sociology insights that social connections facilitate information sharing. Further analyses show that the association between social connections and forecast accuracy is stronger when the teams are just beginning to work together, when their firms face more uncertainty or adversity, and when the CEOs are less powerful. Our results hold for a subsample of executive teams that experience pseudo exogenous shocks to their social connectedness. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of teamwork among executives in the forecast generation process.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruihao Ke & Meng Li & Zhejia Ling & Yuan Zhang, 2019. "Social Connections Within Executive Teams and Management Forecasts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(1), pages 439-457, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:65:y:2019:i:1:p:439-457
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2017.2925
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    6. Toufiq Nazrul & Adam Esplin & Kevin E. Dow & David M. Folsom, 2022. "Religiosity at the Top and Annual Report Readability," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, October.
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    8. Prabashi Dharmasiri, 2023. "Social connections, CEO turnover and corporate policy change," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 48(3), pages 567-595, August.
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