Individual innovation behavior and firm-level exploration and exploitation: how family firms make the most of their managers

Andreas Strobl (), Kurt Matzler (), Bright Adu Nketia () and Viktoria Veider ()
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Andreas Strobl: Innsbruck University School of Management
Kurt Matzler: Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Bright Adu Nketia: Innsbruck University School of Management
Viktoria Veider: Innsbruck University School of Management

Review of Managerial Science, 2020, vol. 14, issue 4, No 4, 809-844

Abstract: Abstract This study investigates the influence of top managers’ individual innovation behavior on firm-level innovation activities, specifically on exploration and exploitation. The influence of individual actions depends on managerial discretion, which is dependent on the ownership context of a business. Thus, this study explores how family ownership moderates the relationships between a top manager’s individual innovation behavior and firm-level exploration and exploitation. Based on a sample of 195 firms, of which 120 are family firms, our findings depict highly significant relationships between managers’ individual innovation behavior and firm-level exploration and exploitation innovation. Furthermore, we find differences regarding these relationships between family firms and their non-family counterparts. We contribute to literature showing that family firms provide a unique context for leveraging a top manager’s individual innovation behavior into firm-level exploration activities.

Keywords: Individual innovation behavior; Top managers; Family firm; Firm-level innovation; Exploration; Exploitation; C83; M10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11846-018-0309-9

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