http://hdl.handle.net/1903/2789 2013-05-24T05:28:04Z 2013-05-24T05:28:04Z Paik, Yonjeong http://hdl.handle.net/1903/13091 2012-10-11T02:31:45Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Redefining multidisciplinary teams: An institutional approach Authors: Paik, Yonjeong Abstract: Multidisciplinary teams, of which members are from different knowledge domains or disciplines, have been studied mostly in the context of cognitive diversity. However, diversityfocused approach may be missing some potential barriers to successful performance of individuals in multidisciplinary teams. Relying on institutional theory for a theoretical framework, I conceptualize two of such barriers: disciplinary embeddedness, or the extent to which an individual is cognitively, affectively and normatively influenced by her discipline, and disciplinary hierarchy, or the degree of perceived status differences among disciplines in the team. Further, I develop a multilevel model of their effects on team member performance in multidisciplinary teams. In the model, it is proposed that individual voice behavior and openness to voice may mediate the negative effects of the two barriers. In addition, I suggest that individual commitment to the team and team leader attributes such as disciplinary background breadth and transformational leadership may mitigate these negative effects. I test the proposed model using a data set from 138 team members in 23 multidisciplinary research teams at a large national research institute in South Korea. I find that disciplinary embeddedness and hierarchy indeed interrupt with team member performance. Additionally, openness to voice and voice behavior are found to be a mediator for the effect of disciplinary embeddedness and hierarchy, respectively. Leader disciplinary background breadth weakens the negative effect of disciplinary hierarchy on voice behavior.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Benjamin, Scott http://hdl.handle.net/1903/13088 2012-10-11T02:33:50Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: THE EFFECTS OF INFOMEDIARIES, NONMARKET STRATEGIES AND CORPORATE POLITICAL ACTION ON INNOVATION ADOPTION Authors: Benjamin, Scott Abstract: Strategic management research has recently become interested in the role of strategies that effect social stakeholders, such as the media, and how they affect the adoption of technological innovation. This dissertation consists of two essays that investigate how these stakeholders affect technological innovation adoption and how firms can increase the likelihood of having their products adopted by influencing these stakeholders. The first essay takes a fine-grained approach at investigating how the content of media coverage influences the adoption of wind projects in the United States wind energy industry. By focusing on certain characteristics of media coverage, I develop a theoretical framework that examines how coverage facilitates perception formation of an innovation in the market. Using content analysis, I examine certain characteristics of media coverage including media attention, positivity of tenor, issue diversity, economic & aesthetic issues and complexity of messaging, and hypothesize about the impact these characteristics have on how quickly stakeholders coalesce around a unified vision of a new technology. The second essay builds on the first essay by exploring how firms employ strategies in both social and political markets in an attempt to influence different segments of the general environment. I argue theoretically that general environmental segments, such as sociocultural and political markets, that were typically thought of as exogenous to the firm may be impacted by the firm. By introducing media specific concepts from the organizational literature and political strategies from the public policy domain to strategic management, this study investigates how firms can achieve more rapid technological innovation adoption by strategically using 1) social exchange mechanisms with the media for the facilitation of perception formation in the market and 2) corporate political activity to influence policy makers for the creation of beneficial legislation. I study both of these phenomena using a comprehensive sample of U.S. based wind projects that have either been proposed or are commercially operational between 2000 and 2009. The findings from both of these essays advance strategic management research by connecting themes from organizational research, mass communications and public policy research to help explain perception formation and technological innovation adoption in the market.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Edinger, Suzanne http://hdl.handle.net/1903/13072 2012-10-11T02:32:48Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Transferring social capital from individual to team: An examination of moderators and relationships to innovative performance Authors: Edinger, Suzanne Abstract: In this dissertation, I explore the relationships between individual social capital, team social capital, and team innovative performance. The association between personal and group social capital is underexplored (Burt, 2000; Kilduff & Krackhardt, 2008), and is important to investigate so that we may improve our knowledge of how social capital transfers from individuals to their teams in ways that promote team innovation. I hope to contribute to the literature on social capital in teams in three important ways. Within team-based settings with high innovation requirements, I first propose that the structural bridging social capital (i.e., ties outside the team) of team members is an important predictor of the team's structural bridging social capital. Second, transferring social capital from the individual to team level, I suggest that a team member's sharing of his/her bridging social capital resources is influenced by relational, cognitive, and task components, including group identification, dyadic trust, team member exchange, and shared vision. Finally, I investigate the role of transactive memory systems and bonding social capital (i.e., ties inside the team) in explaining the relationship between team structural bridging social capital and team innovative performance. Study participants were 263 members of 38 project teams in the merchandising displays division of a large paperboard and packaging manufacturer in the United States. I find that individual bridging social capital predicts team structural bridging social capital. Additionally, psychological identification with team, psychological identification with organization, team member exchange, and shared vision moderate the relationship between individual and team structural social capital. I conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for social capital and team innovative performance theory and practice.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Guo, Wei http://hdl.handle.net/1903/12763 2012-07-08T02:36:50Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Words Matter: Essays on The Relationship Between Executive Word Choice and Investor Evaluation Authors: Guo, Wei Abstract: This dissertation examines the relationship between executive word choices and investor evaluations. Although the importance of language in organizations and the legitimating effect of language for new ventures has stimulated rich theoretical and empirical discussion, scholars still know little about whether, how, and when the language used by executives at established organizations influences external constituents (e.g., investors). I address these questions using two studies. In the first study, drawing from theories of persuasion and attitude change in social psychology, I examine the effect of emotional messages used by executives on investor evaluations and identify persuasion as one path by which executive language influences investors. In the second study, I combine two theoretical perspectives, the market signaling theory in economics and the construe-level theory in psychology, and investigate the effect of executives' use of realism words on investor evaluations. The second study identified signaling as another path by which executive language influences investors. Hypotheses from both studies were tested using a sample of 4,324 verbatim transcripts of 694 organizations' executive presentations at investor conferences between 2004 and 2010. This dissertation contributes to the strategy literature by providing an alternative theoretical framework that focuses on the psychological effect of executives' word choice, and by identifying two paths by which the language of executives in established organizations influence investor evaluations.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z