The determinants and effects of tactics used by champions of technological innovation
Abstract
Both the academic and practitioner literature lauds the role of the champion as important to innovation. Nevertheless, little research has explored the activities champions engage in to promote a project, or their actual impact on project performance. This research proposes a model of champion influence that focuses on: (1) factors that influence the kind of actions champions use to promote a project; (2) the impact those actions have on the compliance and willingness of the champion's target of influence; and (3) the effect champions have on project support, team members, and final project performance. This study collected data from 53 champions and team members in four large firms. Champions and team members were surveyed and interviewed at the beginning of the study and again two to four months later. Champions were interviewed five times by phone in the interim to assess the type of actions they were using to promote their projects. Champions were selected on the basis of nomination by a company liaison, multiple team members concurring with the nomination, and personal interviews with the researcher. Only champions and team members from ongoing projects were included in the study. All measures consisted of multiple items and were gathered over time; where appropriate, the measures also employed multiple respondents. Team members provided data on team variable and project performance. Results suggest that factors affecting the champion's behaviors (personality, relationship with target, and organizational context) differentially affect the tactics champions take and relational variables affect the compliance and willingness of the champion's influence targets. Finally, the target's compliance with the champion's requests are associated with project support and how viable the projects were, but not with the project's final performance.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Green, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Management
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