YOU DON'T FORGET YOUR ROOTS: THE INFLUENCE OF CEO SOCIAL CLASS BACKGROUND ON STRATEGIC RISK TAKING

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kish-Gephart, Jennifer J.; Campbell, Joanna Tochman
• 署名单位: University of Arkansas System; University of Arkansas Fayetteville; University System of Ohio; University of Cincinnati
• 刊物名称: ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0001-4273
• DOI: 10.5465/amj.2013.1204
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 1614-1636
• 关键词: TOP-MANAGEMENT-TEAM; socioeconomic-status; UPPER ECHELONS; instrumental variables; MODERATING ROLE; STOCK-OPTIONS; CAUSAL MODEL; firm; performance; POWER

摘要

Social class is increasingly recognized as a powerful force in people's lives. Yet despite the long and extensive stream of research on the upper echelons of organizations, we know little about how executives' formative childhood experiences with social class influence their strategic choices. In this study, we investigate the influence of chief executive officers' (CEOs') perceived social class origins on firm risk taking. We also explore the moderating influences of other important career experiences, in the form of elite education and diverse functional backgrounds. Our theory and findings highlight that an executive's social class origins have a lasting and varying impact on his or her preferences, affecting his or her tendency to take risks. By examining this novel managerial characteristic, we offer important implications for theorizing about social class and upper echelons.