More than Network Structure: How Knowledge Heterogeneity Influences Managerial Performance and Innovativeness

Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 25, pp. 541-556, 2004

50 Pages Posted: 17 May 2006

See all articles by Simon Rodan

Simon Rodan

College of Business, San Jose State University

D. Charles Galunic

INSEAD

Abstract

This study deals with individual managerial performance, both overall and in generating innovation. While prior work has demonstrated a relationship between network structure and managerial performance, inadequate attention has been paid to network content. We consider several micro-social processes that might account for differences in managerial performance, taken from economic sociology and studies of managers' exploitation of their social networks and derived from work in psychology on the genesis of ideas. We compare the influence of these mechanisms on managerial performance using a sample of 106 middle managers in a European telecommunications company. Our findings suggest that while network structure matters, access to heterogeneous knowledge is of equal importance for overall managerial performance and of greater importance for innovation performance.

Keywords: Innovation, Knowledge, Social Network, Knowledge Heterogeneity, Managerial Performance

Suggested Citation

Rodan, Simon and Galunic, D. Charles, More than Network Structure: How Knowledge Heterogeneity Influences Managerial Performance and Innovativeness. Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 25, pp. 541-556, 2004, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=901847

Simon Rodan (Contact Author)

College of Business, San Jose State University ( email )

One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192
United States
408 924 3415 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/rodan_s/

D. Charles Galunic

INSEAD ( email )

Boulevard de Constance
Fontainebleau 77305
France

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