Bridging firm-internal boundaries for innovation: Directed communication orientation and brokering roles

Journal of Engineering and Technology Management - JET-M

Volumn 36, Issue , 2015, Pages 97-115

  Leendert Aalbers, Hendrik ^a   Dolfsma, Wilfred ^b  

^a RADBOUD UNIVERSITY NIJMEGEN   (Netherlands)

^b UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Communication orientation; Directed brokerage; Firm internal boundaries; Innovation; Intra firm networks

Indexed keywords

INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; INNOVATION;

CASE ANALYSIS; DIRECTED BROKERAGE; INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES; INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE; INTERNAL BOUNDARY; INTRAFIRM NETWORK; KNOWLEDGE FLOW; KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER;

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT;

EID: 84930931663     PISSN: 09234748     EISSN: 16084799     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2015.05.005     Document Type: Article

References (119)

1. H.L. Aalbers, and W.A. Dolfsma Innovation Networks 2015 Routledge London/New York
2. H.L. Aalbers, W.A. Dolfsma, and O. Koppius Individual connectedness in innovation networks: on the role of individual motivation Res. Policy 42 3 2013 624 634
3. H.L. Aalbers, W.A. Dolfsma, and O. Koppius Rich ties and knowledge transfer in a firm Br. J. Manage. 25 4 2014 833 848
4. H.L. Aalbers, W.A. Dolfsma, and R.T.A.J. Leenders Vertical and horizontal cross-ties: benefits of cross-hierarchy and cross-unit ties for innovative project teams J. Prod. Innov. Manage. 2016 (forthcoming)
5. G. Ahuja, G. Soda, and A. Zaheer The genesis and dynamics of organizational networks Org. Sci. 23 2 2012 434 448
6. T.J. Allen Communications, technology transfer, and the role of technical gatekeeper R&D Manage. 1 1971 14 21
7. T. Amabile, R. Conti, H. Coon, J. Lazenby, and M. Herron Assessing the work environment for creativity Acad. Manage. J. 39 5 1996 1154 1184
8. M. Appleyard How does knowledge flow? Interfirm patterns in the semiconductor industry Strat. Manage. J. 17 1996 137 154
9. R. Atkinson, and J. Flint Accessing hidden and hard-to-reach populations: snowball research strategies Soc. Res. Update 33 1 2001 1 4
10. G. Ballinger, E. Craig, R. Cross, and P. Gray A stitch in time saves nine: leveraging networks to reduce costs of turnover Calif. Manage. Rev. 53 2011 111 133
11. P. Balkundi, and D.A. Harrison Ties, leaders, and time in teams: strong inference about network structure's effects on team viability and performance Acad. Manage. J. 49 1 2006 49 68
12. P. Balkundi, M. Kilduff, J. Michael, Z. Barsness, and L. Lawson Demographic antecedents and performance consequences of structural holes in work teams J. Organ. Behav. 28 2 2007 241 260
13. J. Bjork, and M. Magnusson Where do good innovation ideas come from? Exploring the influence of network connectivity on innovation idea quality J. Prod. Innov. Manage. 26 6 2009 662 670
14. C. Boari, and F. Riboldazzi How knowledge brokers emerge and evolve: the role of actors' behaviour Res. Policy 43 4 2014 683 695
15. S. Borgatti, and R. Cross A relational view on information seeking and learning in social networks Manage. Sci. 49 4 2003 432 445
16. S. Borgatti, and D. Halgin On network theory Org. Sci. 22 5 2011 1168 1181
17. S. Borgatti, M.G. Everett, and L.C. Freeman Ucinet 6 for Windows 2002 Analytic Technologies Harvard
18. I. Bouty Interpersonal and interaction influences on informal resource exchanges between R&D researchers across organizational boundaries Acad. Manage. J. 43 1 2000 50 65
19. D.J. Brass Being in the right place: a structural analysis of individual influence in an organization Admin. Sci. Q. 1984 518 539
20. R.S. Burt Structural Holes 1992 Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA
21. R.S. Burt Structural holes and good ideas Am. J. Sociol. 110 2 2004 349 399
22. K.M. Carley, and D. Krackhardt Cognitive inconsistencies and non-symmetric friendship Soc. Netw. 18 1996 1 27
23. G. Carroll, and A. Teo On the social networks of managers Acad. Manage. J. 39 1996 421 440
24. T. Casciaro Seeing things clearly: social structure, personality, and accuracy in social network perception Soc. Netw. 20 1998 331 351
25. W.M. Cohen, and D.A. Levinthal Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on learning and innovation Admin. Sci. Q. 35 1990 128 152
26. J.S. Coleman Social capital in the creation of human-capital Am. J. Sociol. 94 1988 S95 S120
27. E. Costenbader, and T.W. Valente The stability of centrality measures when networks are sampled Soc. Netw. 25 2003 283 307
28. R. Cross, S. Borgatti, and A. Parker Making invisible work visible: using social network analysis to support human networks Calif. Manage. Rev. 44 2 2002 25 46
29. R. Cross, and L. Prusak The people who make organizations go- or stop Harv. Bus. Rev. 80 6 2002 104 112
30. R. Cross, and J.N. Cummings Tie and network correlates of performance in knowledge intensive work Acad. Manage. J. 47 6 2004 928 937
31. J.N. Cummings Work groups, structural diversity, and knowledge sharing in a global organization Manage. Sci. 50 3 2004 352 364
32. A.M. Doherty, and N. Alexander Relationship development in international retail franchising Eur. J. Mark. 38 9-10 2004 1215 1235
33. W.A. Dolfsma, R. van der Eijk, and A. Jolink On a source of social capital: gift exchange J. Bus. Ethics 89 3 2009 315 329
34. D. Dougherty Interpretive barriers to successful product innovations in large firms Org. Sci. 3 2 1992 179 202
35. P.P. Ekeh Social Exchange Theory: The Two Traditions 1974 Harvard UP Cambridge, MA
36. P.C. Ensign Knowledge Sharing among Scientists 2009 Palgrave Macmillan New York, NY
37. H. Flap, and B. Volker Goal specific social capital and job satisfaction - effects of different types of networks on instrumental and social aspects of work Soc. Netw. 23 2001 297 320
38. L. Fleming Recombinant uncertainty in technological search Manage. Sci. 47 2001 117 132
39. L. Fleming, S. Mingo, and D. Chen Collaborative brokerage, generative creativity, and creative success Admin. Sci. Q. 52 3 2007 443 475
40. C.J. Fombrun Strategies for network research in organizations Acad. Manage. Rev. 7 2 1982 280 291
41. N.J. Foss, K. Husted, and S. Michailova Governing knowledge sharing in organizations: levels of analysis, governance mechanisms, and research directions J. Manage. Stud. 47 3 2010 455 482
42. L.C. Freeman Centrality in social networks Soc. Netw. 1 1979 215 239
43. A.F. Friedman, and J. Podolny Differentiation of boundary spanning roles: labor negotiations and implications for role conflict Admin. Sci. Q. 37 1993 28 47
44. S. Ghoshal, and C.A. Bartlett Creation, adoption, and diffusion of innovations by subsidiaries of multinational corporations J. Int. Bus. Stud. 1988 365 388
45. R.V. Gould, and R. Fernandez Structures of mediation: a formal approach to brokerage in transaction networks Sociol. Methodol. 19 1989 89 126
46. M.S. Granovetter The strength of weak ties Am. J. Sociol. 1973 1360 1380
47. R. Gulati, and P. Puranam Renewal through reorganization: the value of inconsistencies between formal and informal organization Org. Sci. 20 2009 422 440
48. R. Gulati, M. Sytch, and A. Tatarynowicz The rise and fall of small worlds: exploring the dynamics of social structure Org. Sci. 23 2 2012 449 471
49. E. Gummesson Qualitative Methods in Management Research 2000 Sage Thousand Oaks, CA
50. M.R. Haas, and M.T. Hansen When using knowledge can hurt performance: the value of organizational capabilities in a management consulting company Strat. Manage. J. 26 1 2005 1 24
51. M. Hansen The search-transfer problem: the role of weak ties in sharing knowledge across organization subunits Admin. Sci. Q. 44 1999 82 111
52. M. Hansen Knowledge networks: explaining effective knowledge sharing in multiunit companies Org. Sci. 13 3 2002 232 248
53. M.T. Hansen, M.L. Mors, and B. Lovas Knowledge sharing in organizations: multiple networks, multiple phases Acad. Manage. J. 48 5 2005 776 793
54. A.B. Hargadon Firms as knowledge brokers: lessons in pursuing continuous innovation Calif. Manage. Rev. 40 3 1998 209 227
55. A.B. Hargadon Brokering knowledge: linking learning and innovation Res. Org. Behav. 24 2002 41 85
56. D. Harrisson, and M. Laberge Innovation, identities and resistance: the social construction of an innovation network J. Manage. Stud. 39 4 2002 497 521
57. D.D. Heckathorn Respondent-driven sampling: a new approach to the study of hidden populations Soc. Probl. 44 2 1997 174 199
58. K. Henttonen Exploring social networks on the team level - a review of the empirical literature J. Eng. Technol. Manage. 27 1 2010 74 109
59. Q.N. Huy Emotional balancing of organizational continuity and radical change: the contribution of middle managers Admin. Sci. Q. 47 2002 31 69
60. H. Ibarra Network centrality, power and innovation involvement Acad. Manage. J. 36 3 1993 471 501
61. J. Illenberger, and G. Flötteröd Estimating network properties from snowball sampled data Soc. Netw. 34 4 2012 701 711
62. R. Kahn, D. Wolfe, R. Quinn, and J. Snoek Organisational Stress 1964 John Wiley & Sons New York
63. R.M. Kanter The Change Masters: Innovation for Productivity in the American Corporation 1983 Simon and Schuster New York, NY
64. D. Katz, and R.L. Kahn The Social Psychology of Organizations 1978 Wiley New York, NY
65. A.M. Kleinbaum, and M.L. Tushman Building bridges: the social structure of interdependent innovation Strat. Entrep. J. 1 1-2 2007 103 122
66. G. Kossinets, and D.J. Watts Origins of homophily in an evolving social network1 Am. J. Sociol. 115 2 2009 405 450
67. D. Krackhardt Assessing the political landscape: structure, cognition, and power in organizations Admin. Sci. Q. 1990 342 369
68. J. Kratzer, R.T.A.J. Leenders, and J.M. Van Engelen The social structure of leadership and creativity in engineering design teams: an empirical analysis J. Eng. Technol. Manage. 25 4 2008 269 286
69. R.T.A. Leenders, J.M. Van Engelen, and J. Kratzer Virtuality, communication, and new product team creativity: a social network perspective J. Eng. Technol. Manage. 20 1 2003 69 92
70. S.S. Levine, and M.J. Prietula How knowledge transfer impacts performance: a multilevel model of benefits and liabilities Org. Sci. 23 6 2012 1748 1766
71. R.E. Levitt, J. Thomsen, T.R. Christiansen, J.C. Kunz, Y. Jin, and C. Nass Simulating project work processes and organizations: toward a micro-contingency theory of organizational design Manage. Sci. 45 11 1999 1479 1495
72. J.R. Lincoln, and J. Miller Work and friendship ties in organizations: a comparative analysis of relation networks Admin. Sci. Q. 1979 181 199
73. T.R. Lindlof Qualitative Communication Research Methods 1995 Sage Thousand Oaks, CA
74. J.A. Marrone, P.E. Tesluk, and J.B. Carson A multilevel investigation of antecedents and consequences of team member boundary-spanning behavior Acad. Manage. J. 50 6 2007 1423 1439
75. P.V. Marsden Network data and measurement Ann. Rev. Sociol. 16 1990 435 463
76. P.V. Marsden Egocentric and sociocentric measures of network centrality Soc. Netw. 24 4 2002 407 422
77. B. McEvily, G. Soda, and M. Tortoriello More formally: rediscovering the missing link between formal organization and informal social structure Acad. Manage. Ann. 8 1 2014 299 345
78. A. Mehra, M. Kilduff, and D.J. Brass The social networks of high and low self-monitors Admin. Sci. Q. 46 2001 121 146
79. J. Merluzzi, and R.S. Burt How many names are enough? Identifying network effects with the least set of listed contacts Soc. Netw. 35 3 2013 331 337
80. R. Merton Social Theory and Social Structure 1968 Free Press New York
81. C. Moorman, and A.S. Miner Organizational improvisation and organizational memory Acad. Manage. Rev. 23 1998 698 723
82. J.M. Morse Designing funded qualitative research N.K. Denzin, Y.S. Lincoln, Handbook of Qualitative Research 1994 Sage Thousand Oaks, CA 220 235
83. A. Oetl Reconceptualizing stars: scientists helpfulness and peer performance Manage. Sci. 58 6 2012 1122 1140
84. H. Oh, M.-H. Chung, and G. Labianca Group social capital and group effectiveness: the role of informal socializing ties Acad. Manage. J. 47 6 2004 860 875
85. S. Paruchuri Inter-organizational networks, intra-organizational networks, and impact of central inventors Org. Sci. 21 1 2010 63 80
86. L. Perlow, and J. Weeks Who's helping whom? Layers of culture and workplace behavior J. Org. Behav. 23 4 2002 345 361
87. J.E. Perry-Smith, and C.E. Shalley The social side of creativity: a static and dynamic social network perspective Acad. Manage. Rev. 28 1 2003 89 107
88. J.E. Pustejovsky, and J.P. Spillane Question-order effects in social network name generators Soc. Netw. 31 4 2009 221 229
89. R. Reagans, and B. McEvily Network structure and knowledge transfer: the effects of cohesion and range Admin. Sci. Q. 48 2 2003 240 267
90. S. Rodan Structural holes and managerial performance: identifying the underlying mechanisms Soc. Netw. 32 3 2010 168 179
91. E.M. Rogers, and D.L. Kincaid Communication Networks: Toward a New Paradigm for Research 1981 Free Press New York, NY
92. M.D. Ryall, and O. Sorenson Brokers and competitive advantage Manage. Sci. 53 4 2007 566 583
93. Z. Sasovova, A. Mehra, S.P. Borgatti, and M.C. Schippers Network churn: the effects of self-monitoring personality on brokerage dynamics Admin. Sci. Q. 55 4 2010 639 670
94. J.A. Schumpeter Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy 1942 Unwin University Books London
95. W. Shi, L. Markoczy, and G.G. Dess The role of middle management in the strategy. Process: group affiliation, structural holes, and terzius jungens J. Manage. 35 6 2009 1453 1480
96. H.A. Simon Administrative Behavior 1976 The Free Press New York
97. L. Smith-Doerr, I.M. Manev, and P. Rizova The meaning of success: network position and the social construction of project outcomes in an R&D lab J. Eng. Technol. Manage. 21 1 2004 51 81
98. E.S. Spiro, R.M. Acton, and C.T. Butts Extended structures of mediation: re-examining brokerage in dynamic networks Soc. Netw. 35 1 2013 130 143
99. W.B. Stevenson, and M.C. Gilly Information processing and problem solving: the migration of problems through formal positions and networks of ties Acad. Manage. J. 34 1991 918 928
100. G. Szulanski Exploring internal stickiness Strat. Manage. J. 17 1996 27 43
101. G. Szulanski The process of knowledge transfer: a diachronic analysis of stickiness Org. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 82 1 2000 9 27
102. G. Szulanski Sticky Knowledge 2003 Sage Publications London & Thousand Oaks, CA
103. V. Taube Measuring the social capital of brokerage roles Connections 25 2 2003 1 25
104. N.M. Tichy, M.L. Tushman, and C. Fombrun Social network analysis for organizations Acad. Manage. Rev. 4 4 1979 507 519
105. M. Tortoriello, and D. Krackhardt Activating cross-boundary knowledge: the role of Simmelian ties in the generation of innovations Acad. Manage. J. 53 1 2010 167 181
106. W. Tsai Knowledge transfer in intra-organizational networks: effects of network position and absorptive capacity on business unit innovation and performance Acad. Manage. J. 44 2001 996 1004
107. M. Tushman Special boundary roles in the innovation process Admin. Sci. Q. 22 4 1977 587 605
108. M.L. Tushman, and R. Katz External communication and project performance: an investigation into the role of gatekeepers Manage. Sci. 26 11 1980 1071 1085
109. M.L. Tushman, and T.J. Scanlan Boundary spanning individuals: their role in information transfer and their antecedents Acad. Manage. J. 24 2 1981 289 305
110. M.L. Tushman, and T.J. Scanlan Characteristics and external orientations of boundary spanning individuals Acad. Manage. J. 24 1 1981 83 98
111. M. Tushman, W.K. Smith, R.C. Wood, and G. Westman O'Reilly Organizational designs and innovation streams Ind. Corp. Change 19 5 2010 1331 1366
112. B. Uzzi, and J. Spiro Collaboration and creativity: the small world problem Am. J. Sociol. 111 2 2005 447 503
113. P. Varella, M. Javidan, and D.A. Waldman A model of instrumental networks: the roles of socialized charismatic leadership and group behavior Org. Sci. 23 2 2012 582 595
114. H.W. Volberda Toward the flexible form: how to remain vital in hypercompetitive environments Org. Sci. 7 4 1996 359 374
115. E. Von Hippel Sticky information and the locus of problem solving: implications for innovation Manage. Sci. 40 4 1994 429 439
116. S. Wasserman, and K. Faust Social Network Analysis 1994 Cambridge UP New York, NY
117. E. Whelan, S. Parise, J. de Valk, and H.L. Aalbers Creating employee networks that deliver open innovation MIT Sloan Manage. Rev. 53 1 2011 37 44
118. R.K. Yin Case Study Research: Design and Methods 1994 Sage Publications Thousand Oaks, CA
119. A. Zaheer, and G. Soda Network evolution: the origins of structural holes Admin. Sci. Q. 54 1 2009 1 31