Nina Rosenbusch

The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation in the Task Environment–Performance Relationship A Meta-Analysis

Despite the importance of the external task environment for firm performance, little is known about the mechanisms that enable firms to benefit from a specific environmental setting. The authors argue that firms adjust their entrepreneurial orientation (EO) to the external environment and use it as a mechanism to transform the advantages provided by the environment into above-average performance levels. Specifically, the authors use meta-analysis supplemented by structural equation modeling to explore the links among environmental munificence, hostility, dynamism and complexity, EO, and firm performance in a mediation model. The results suggest that environmental munificence, dynamism, and complexity affect EO and, in turn, firm performance. The authors discuss the meta-analytical findings with respect to their theoretical contribution and their practical implications.

Success Patterns of Exploratory and Exploitative Innovation A Meta-Analysis of the Influence of Institutional Factors

Research has frequently argued that firms need to pursue exploratory and exploitative innovation strategies to be viable in an environment of technological change and intensified competition. However, it remains unclear whether exploratory and exploitative innovations are equally successful in different institutional environments. This meta-analysis synthesizes previous empirical findings to reveal under which institutional conditions firms benefit most from exploratory or exploitative innovation. We distinguish between institutional conditions that affect the success derived from exploratory and exploitative innovations through (a) the availability of resources and (b) attitudes toward innovation and the willingness of stakeholders to allocate resources to both innovation types. Our results show that national culture has a strong impact on the success of exploratory innovations, whereas only uncertainty avoidance influences the benefits derived from exploitative innovations. Socioeconomic conditions are equally important for the success of both innovation types. Our findings are of high practical relevance as due to increasing globalization more and more firms operate internationally and managers have choices regarding the location of their exploratory and exploitative innovation activities.

Ambidextrous Leadership in the Innovation Process

Innovation research is full of paradoxes. Bledow, Frese, Anderson, Erez, and Farr (2009) summarize several kinds of conflicting demands inherent to the innovation process and demonstrate the commonness of tensions within this process. The main paradoxes of innovation are probably achieving a balance of new and old activities, of structured and chaotic activities, and of uncertain and reliable activities. All these activities map onto ambidexterity – the ability to achieve a balance of exploration and exploitation. In this chapter, we will argue that ambidexterity is required within the innovation process, not only on the organizational level but also for each individual person involved in an innovation process. Leaders in the context of innovation need to be able to support subordinates in their attempts to act ambidextrously – by ambidextrous leadership.

The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation in the Task Environment–Performance Relationship

Despite the importance of the external task environment for firm performance, little is known about the mechanisms that enable firms to benefit from a specific environmental setting. The authors argue that firms adjust their entrepreneurial orientation (EO) to the external environment and use it as a mechanism to transform the advantages provided by the environment into above-average performance levels. Specifically, the authors use meta-analysis supplemented by structural equation modeling to explore the links among environmental munificence, hostility, dynamism and complexity, EO, and firm performance in a mediation model. The results suggest that environmental munificence, dynamism, and complexity affect EO and, in turn, firm performance. The authors discuss the meta-analytical findings with respect to their theoretical contribution and their practical implications.

The mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation in the task-environment-performance relationship: a meta-analysis of 30 years of research

Despite the importance of the external task environment for firm performance, little is known about the mechanisms that enable firms to benefit from a specific environmental setting. The authors argue that firms adjust their entrepreneurial orientation (EO) to the external environment and use it as a mechanism to transform the advantages provided by the environment into above-average performance levels. Specifically, the authors use meta-analysis supplemented by structural equation modeling to explore the links among environmental munificence, hostility, dynamism and complexity, EO, and firm performance in a mediation model. The results suggest that environmental munificence, dynamism, and complexity affect EO and, in turn, firm performance. The authors discuss the meta-analytical findings with respect to their theoretical contribution and their practical implications.

Innovation Offshoring, Institutional Context and Innovation Performance : A Meta-Analysis

Innovation offshoring (IO) has become a widespread management practice. Yet, evidence on the performance implications is inconsistent, and scattered across disciplines and contexts. We argue that the benefits firms can derive from IO depend on the institutional environment at home. Drawing on recent work on institutional theory in international business, we explore institutions that facilitate reverse knowledge transfer and/or institutional arbitrage with respect to innovation-related activities. The results of our meta-analysis that synthesizes evidence from 48 samples show that IO is related positively to innovation performance. As predicted, this relationship is moderated by differences in the institutional environments across countries. Specifically, when national innovation systems are weak at home, IO appears to enable institutional arbitrage strategy whereas Confucian cultures enable more effective reverse knowledge transfer. However, contrary to our expectations, the beneficial effects of IO appear to have diminished over time.