Connecting and creating: tertius iungens, individual creativity, and strategic decision processes

Abstract

Research Summary: In contrast to previous research that emphasized macro-to-macro relationships, this study investigates how strategic decision characteristics shape the creative process at the organizational micro-level. Whereas individual creativity thrives on novel combinations of diverse knowledge and perspectives, we argue that the characteristics of strategic decisions influence the extent to which employees' combinatory activities enhance their creativity. Multilevel modeling results based on 638 employees from 34 organizations show that the positive relationship between tertius iungens (TI) orientation and creative performance is reinforced by strategic decision comprehensiveness, especially when coupled with low strategic decision speed. The results suggest that, paradoxically, when top managers consider a narrower range of options and act more quickly to respond to challenges in the external environment, they risk constraining creative processes within the organization. Managerial Summary: To innovate, managers are often advised to make strategic decisions based on changes in their external business environment. Our research suggests that managers should also consider how strategic decision-making enables the social processes through which employees generate creative ideas essential to organizational innovation. Our results show that employees who bring people in their network and their diverse ideas together (i.e., the tertius iungens [TI] orientation) tend to improve creative performance. However, for those employees is it easier to develop creative ideas when strategic decisions are comprehensive and slow? Paradoxically, when top managers consider a narrower range of options and act more quickly to respond to challenges in the external environment, they

Brokerage and Brokering: An Integrative Review and Organizing Framework for Third Party Influence

“…These findings by Kaplan et al (2017) and emphasize the need to consider not only the effects of brokering on idea generation but also the longer term consequences of brokering for the utilization and adoption of the products that result from brokered collaborations (i.e., the transition from creativity to innovation; cf. Kauppila, Bizzi, & Obstfeld, 2018).…”

When the Setting Is Right, Ideas Will Flow- A Business Class Case Study

“…It is observed that groups on the whole are able to produce a larger variety of ideas than individuals, specifically face-to-face groups more than computermediated groups and smaller groups rather than individuals, showing significantly better preparation and incubation of ideas, respectively leading to more creative satisfaction among face-to-face group members (Kristensson & Norlander, 2003). Further, individuals who collaborate with, and bring together diverse ideas of people in their network tend to improve their own creative performance (Kauppila, Bizzi & Obstfeld, 2018). Hence, when we train students in creative thinking, we encourage them to work in groups and even form dyadicrelationships in teams, since, among team characteristics, high quality, dyadic co-worker relationships lead to the establishment of more favourable creative team environments (Bornay-Barrachina & Herrero, 2018).…”

Competition Shadow: Anchoring to Fear Versus Hope in Estimating Rivals in Competition

“…We focused on the effects of trait anxiety and competition shadow because, compared to other emotions, anxiety and competition shadow are more associated with uncertainty ( Calvo & Dolores Castillo, 2001 ; Grupe & Nitschke, 2013 ), which is inherent in the decision to anchor a reference point. We set the individual as the unit of analysis because individuals often establish and manage new ventures ( Sarason et al, 2006 ), and make many significant estimations about known and unknown rivals ( Kauppila et al, 2018 ). This research has focused on the individual- rather than the group-level stimulus of rival estimation.…”