China Science

This study examined the relative effectiveness of three structural approaches to reducing team size. Seventy-one five-person teams engaged in a simulated interactive task in which the approach to downsizing was manipulated. Results suggest that the structural approaches to reducing team size differentially impact team performance, and this relationship is mediated by how and to what degree teams adapt their task-related behaviors. Moreover, results from this study emphasize the importance of team composition in cases of team downsizing. Specifically, emotional stability and extraversion can help mitigate the negative effects associated with reducing team size.

DeRue, D. Scott1 dsderue@umich.edu?Hollenbeck, John R.2 jrh@msu.edu?Johnson, Michael D.3 mdj3@u.washington.edu?Ilgen, Daniel R.4 ilgen@msu.edu?Jundt, Dustin K.5 jundtdus@msu.edu
[1]Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan;[2]Eli Broad Professor of Management at the Eli Broad Graduate School of Business Administration at Michigan State University;[3]Assistant Professor of Management and Organization at the University of Washington Business School;[4]John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Management at Michigan State University;[5]Doctoral Candidate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Michigan State University

An assumption in prior research is that debt is homogeneous and provides inappropriate governance for R&D investments. We argue that debt is heterogeneous: although transactional debt does indeed impose strict contractual constraints that provide inappropriate governance for R&D investments, relational debt has very different characteristics that provide more appropriate governance. Using a sample of Japanese firms, we find that firms that align their debt structures with their R&D investments perform better than those that are misaligned. Furthermore, firms tend to align their debt structure with R&D investments, but only after deregulation permits relatively free access to various types of debt.

David, Parthiban1,2 pdavid@ou.edu?O’Brien, Jonathan P.3?Yoshikawa, Toru4
[1]Holds the Rath Chair in Stategic Management at the University of Oklahoma;[2]Associate Professor , University of Oklahoma;[3]Lecturer at University College Dublin;[4]Associate Professor at McMaster University

In a U.S. sample of nonprofit professional theaters, we examine how slack resources interact with environmental threat appraisal to influence product exploration and exploitation. We find systematic variation depending on the extent to which a resource is rare and absorbed in operations, and the extent of perceived environmental threats. Absorbed, generic resources are associated with increased exploitation and decreased exploration. Unabsorbed resources, both generic and rare, result in higher exploration and lower exploitation, but only when perceived environmental threat is high. Overall, results reveal pragmatic decision making balancing the benefits of superior strategic position against the risks of jeopardizing viability.

Voss, Glenn B.1?Sirdeshmukh, Deepak2 dsirdes@ncsu.edu?Voss, Zannie Giraud3,4 zvoss@smu.edu
[1]Associate Professor in the Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University;[2]Assistant Professor at the College of Management, North Carolina State University;[3]Chair of the Arts Administration and a Professor in both the Meadows School of the Arts and the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University;[4]Affiliate Professor at Euromed Marseille School of Management

Drawing on the emotional labor and work recovery literatures, we examined the relationship between workday break activities and emotional experiences and the role these variables play in the performance of positive affective displays in service interactions. In results based on data collected from 64 cheerleading instructors via experience sampling, break activities are related to emotional experiences and positive affective displays. Moreover, supporting regulatory resource theory, break activities’ impact on positive affective displays goes beyond the effects of emotional experiences. Our findings suggest employees’ use of workday breaks can have practical implications for how they feel and perform at work.

Trougakos, John P.1,2 trougakos@utsc.utoronto.ca?Beal, Daniel J.3 dbeal@rice.edu?Green, Stephen G.4 sggreen@purdue.edu?Weiss, Howard M.5
[1]Assistant Professor of Management in the Department of Management at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus;[2]Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus;[3]Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rice University;[4]Basil S. Turner Distinguished Professor of Management in the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University;[5]Professor and Head of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue Univeristy

Acquisitions often occur in waves within industries. We extend the theoretical understanding of such waves by drawing upon research on early mover advantage and bandwagon effects to develop arguments regarding the likely performance potential of participating at different points in an acquisition wave. In line with our theoretical model, we find acquisition performance is higher for early movers but lower for acquirers that participate at the height of the acquisition wave. Although we find this general performance trend, our findings suggest both industry and acquirer characteristics influence the degree to which firms seize early mover advantages or fall prey to bandwagon pressures.

McNamara, Gerry M.1 mcnamara@bus.msu.edu?Haleblain, Jerayer (John)2 john.haleblian@ucr.edu?Dykes, Bernadine Johnson3 john2128@msu.edu
[1]Associate Professor of Management at the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University;[2]Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Riverside;[3]Doctoral Student in Strategic Management at the Eli Broad Gradute School of Management at Michigan State University

This study advances research on entrepreneurial orientation and social capital by examining how the configuration of a founding team’s intra- and extraindustry network ties shapes the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and new venture performance. Using an original data set of 90 new ventures in the emerging open source software industry, we found that the combination of high network centrality and extensive bridging ties strengthened the focal link. Among firms with few bridging ties, centrality weakened the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of when network centrality represents an asset or a liability for entrepreneurial firms.

Stam, Wouter1,2 wstam@feweb.vu.nl?Elfring, Tom3 telfring@feweb.vu.nl
[1]Assistant Professor of Management at VU University of Amsterdam;[2]Visiting Scholar at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania;[3]Professor of Strategic Management at VU University of Amsterdam

Using data from 94 top management teams, we found that dyadic goal importance congruence between CEOs and vice presidents (VPs) partially mediated the relationship of CEO transformational leadership with individual VPs;attitudes, but not their performance. However, finer-grained analyses suggested it may be higher VP perceptions of goal importance, rather than the exact correspondence between CEO and VP goal importance ratings, that are associated with both CEO transformational leadership and VP attitudes. At the organizational level, CEO transformational leadership was positively related to within-team goal importance congruence, which in turn was positively related to organizational performance.

Colbert, Amy E.1 amy-colbert@uiowa.edu?Kristof-Brown, Amy L.2 amy-kristof-brown@uiowa.edu?Bradley, Bret H.3?Barrick, Murray R.4 mbarrick@mays.tamu.edu
[1]Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and Organizations at the University of Iowa;[2]Weissman/Sinicropi Research Fellow at the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, Univerisity of Iowa;[3]Doctoral Candidate in Organizational Behavior at the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa;[4]Head of the Management Department and the Paul M. and Rosalie Robertson Chair in Business at the Mays Business School, Texas A&M University

To enhance understanding of expatriate adjustment, we examine the effect of the decision autonomy afforded to expatriate managers on their own adjustment as well as the moderating effect of global integration pressure. We further investigate the mitigating effect of a parent company’s operational experience with a particular foreign subsidiary on this relationship. We examine these issues using survey data from 187 expatriate general managers and 24 corporate headquarter executives working in the global hotel industry. The results of the study support the hypotheses postulated. We discuss implications of these findings.

Takeuchi, Riki1 mnrikit@ust.hk?Shay, Jeffrey P.2 jshay@business.umt.edu?Li, Jiatao3,4 mnjtli@ust.hk
[1]Assistant Professor in the Department of Management of Organizations at the School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology;[2]Associate Professor in and the Chiar of the Management and Marketing Department at the University of Montana;[3]Professor in and the Head of the Department of Management of Organizations at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology;[4]Director of the Hang Lung Center for Organizational Research at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology