Creative Roots, Strategic Outcomes: CEO Childhood Imprints and the Pursuit of Innovation

Puya Kahhali, Alexandru Roman and Haibo Liu
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Puya Kahhali: University of California, Riverside, California, U.S.A.
Alexandru Roman: University of Maine, Maine, U.S.A.
Haibo Liu: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

American Business Review, 2026, vol. 29, issue 1, 89-110

Abstract: This study examines how CEOs’ early-life experiences shape strategic decision-making, focusing on the influence of parental creativity. Drawing on imprinting and upper echelons theories, we argue that CEOs with creatively employed parents develop an exploratory mindset that promotes greater investment in firm R&D. Crucially, we propose that this learning stems from behavioral modeling of exploratory mindsets through creative problem-solving—rather than the transmission of socioeconomic capital. Using a proprietary dataset of Fortune 100 CEOs and their parents’ occupations, we find robust support for this relationship. The effect is amplified under strong firm performance, while CEO age does not consistently weaken the relationship, suggesting that early-life imprints endure. These findings contribute to the upper echelons and organizational learning literatures by identifying a novel antecedent of CEO innovation behavior and highlighting the lasting influence of formative experiences on strategic choices.

Keywords: CEO Characteristics; Firm Innovation; Upper Echelons Theory; Strategic Decision Making; Imprinting Theory; Early-Life Experiences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M10 M12 M14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:ambsrv:022658

DOI: 10.37625/abr.29.1.89-110

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