Strategic leadership and technological innovation: A comprehensive review and research agenda

Abstract

Research Question/Issue We review the literature on the relationship between strategic leadership and technological innovation. Research Findings/Insights We identify the theoretical lenses that researchers apply when studying strategic leadership and innovation, most notably agency theory and upper echelons theory. We review the innovation constructs and measures that scholars employ, and we survey the links among strategic leaders' characteristics and technological innovation. Ultimately, we organize the literature into an integrative framework that provides a concise overview of the extant knowledge, and we outline an agenda for future research. Theoretical/Academic Implications First, we offer scholars a discipline‐spanning overview of the extant knowledge on the topic. Second, by integrating important aspects of corporate governance, such as the role of the board of directors, incentives for the chief executive officer or the top management team, and firm ownership, into the context of technological innovation, we highlight the vital role it plays in the realm of technological innovation. Third, we provide a useful guide for scholars and direct their work towards fruitful avenues for future research. Practitioner/Policy Implications We offer insights for practitioners interested in better understanding the bidirectional relationship between strategic leadership and technological innovation. In particular, our framework and our detailed analysis of the impact of strategic leaders on technological innovation can guide shareholders and board members in matters related to board composition as well as top executive selection and compensation.

Relationship between Strategic Leadership & Cooperative Strategy: The Moderating Role of Clan Culture. (A Case of Small and Medium Sector Organizations of Pakistan)

“…The current study is an effort to expand the effort to address strategic leadership and its impact in fostering cooperative strategy. In addition, in past several researchers have undertaken the (Kurzhals et al, 2020), this study endeavored to examine clan culture interactive effects on strategic leadership and its impact on firms' cooperative strategy. The results however supported the hypotheses and supported the model accuracy.…”

Taking stock of corporate governance research and future research opportunities

“…In addition, they reveal major contextual moderators that include environmental and organizational factors. Based on their review, Kurzhals et al (2020) develop an agenda for further research that includes broadening the theoretical lenses used to explore the relationship between strategic leadership and technological innovation, elaborating in more depth on the role of the board of directors in technological innovation, illuminating the consequences of technological innovation for strategic leaders, including their cognitive processes and behaviors, as well as better understanding the processes that mediate strategic leadership and innovation outcomes.…”

“…A specific and particularly important form of innovation is technological innovation, that is, changes in the methods and materials used to create and capture value in an industry (Hill & Rothaermerl, 2003). Kurzhals et al (2020) consolidate the state of knowledge on the associations between board and TMT characteristics and technological innovation of the firm. The authors analyze 158 articles with regard to the main theoretical lenses that have been utilized to study the relationship between strategic leadership and technological innovation, their constructs and measures of technological innovation that have been related to certain aspects of strategic leadership, and the characteristics of the CEO, the board, and the TMT that have been empirically related to technological innovation.…”

“…Our present review issue 2020 contains six first-rate articles that cover a broad set of highly relevant subjects including the role of different types of owners with regard to board governance (Federo, Ponomareva, Aguilera, Saz-Carranza, & Losada, 2020), the position of the chair of the board of directors (Banerjee, Nordqvist, & Hellerstedt, 2020), idiosyncrasies of founder CEOs (Abebe, Li, Acharya, & Daspit, 2020), the relationship between board and top management team (TMT) characteristics and technological innovation (Kurzhals, Graf-Vlachy, & König, 2020), the institutional embeddedness of corporate governance (Zattoni, Dedoulis, Leventis, & Van Ees, 2020), as well as the relationship between different types of ownership and the propensity of tunneling (Solarino & Boyd, 2020). With one exception that employs meta-analysis (cf.…”

“…Founder CEOs are particularly common in entrepreneurial companies and have been shown to positively influence the level of firm innovation. A specific and particularly important form of innovation is technological innovation, that is, changes in the methods and materials used to create and capture value in an industry(Hill & Rothaermerl, 2003) Kurzhals et al (2020). consolidate the state of knowledge on the associations between board and TMT characteristics and technological innovation of the firm.…”