Weilei (Stone) Shi

The Role of Middle Management in the Strategy Process: Group Affiliation, Structural Holes, and Tertius Iungens

This study explores the relationship between eight distinct brokerage roles of middle managers and their involvement in achieving different strategic goals. The authors argue that each role contributes to different aspects of middle managers’ strategic goals and that some roles are more likely to realize brokerage advantages than others. They further suggest that bridging structural holes may not be an optimal strategy in all situations. Important implications of their model are discussed and several future research directions are proposed.

A Temporal Perspective of Merger and Acquisition and Strategic Alliance Initiatives: Review and Future Direction

The incorporation of a temporal perspective in merger and acquisition (M&A) and alliance research has gained increasing popularity. Since a temporal perspective focuses on the management of time and its consequences, it contributes a unique value proposition to the M&A and alliance stream of research. Over the past 30 years researchers have explored a wide variety of topics and methodological approaches. As a result, research evidence has progressed in a somewhat fragmented manner where its cumulative impact is difficult to discern. The purpose of this review is to systematically assess the underlying logic and contributions of a temporal lens for the M&A and alliance literature as well as identify core temporal constructs, mechanisms, relationships, and promising research directions. The authors’ review of 144 published articles not only catalogs the state of the art and accumulated knowledge but also identifies critical hurdles that need to be addressed to chart future research directions.

Rhythm and Entrainment of Acquisition and Alliance Initiatives and Firm Performance: A Temporal Perspective

A temporal perspective, focusing on when and under what conditions firms should accelerate or slow down their acquisition and alliance initiatives, is gaining momentum in strategy research. We explore the temporal relationships between rhythm, entrainment and firm performance. Firms that temporally structure the rhythm of repetitive acquisitions in an even-event pace achieve superior performance as compared to an even or event pace. We also find that intraentrainment—the internal synchronization between acquisition and alliance initiatives—enhances performance and the extraentrainment of alliances—the synchronization with competitors’ alliance rhythm—enhances performance. Our findings have important implications for the organizational improvisation, dynamic fit and alliance/acquisition experience literatures which further opens the window to understanding the creation of competitive advantage by managing rhythm-type strategic actions over time.

In the Eye of the Beholder: Top Managers’ Long-Term Orientation, Industry Context, and Decision-Making Processes

Time orientation matters. While a temporal perspective is widely recognized as an important lens in strategic management research, few studies have explored how top managers’ temporal orientation affects strategic decision-making processes. We propose that top managers’ subjective perception of time, specifically, their long-term orientation, positively affects the comprehensiveness, speed, and creativity of strategic decision-making processes and that industry context moderates these relationships. Drawing on the organization-environment fit perspective and associated compatibility and temporal fit mechanisms, we found considerable support for our hypotheses in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries in China. Our findings reinforce the perspective that temporal referent points act as anchors for strategic decision-making processes.