Top management team diversity, group process, and strategic consensus

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Knight, D; Pearce, CL; Smith, KG; Olian, JD; Sims, HP; Smith, KA; Flood, P
• 署名单位: University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Charlotte; Syracuse University; University of Limerick
• 刊物名称: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0143-2095
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199905)20:5<445::AID-SMJ27>3.0.CO;2-V
• 发表日期: 1999
• 页码: 445-465
• 关键词: TOP MANAGEMENT TEAMS; diversity; consensus; group process

摘要

This study integrated concepts from upper echelons, group process and social cognition theories to investigate holy demographic diversity and group processes influence strategic consensus within the top management team (TMT), where strategic consensus is defined as the degree to which individual mental models of strategy overlap. Data from 76 high-technology firms in the United Stares and Ireland were used to examine three alternative models. The results showed that while demographic diversity alone did have effects on strategic consensus the overall fit of the model was not strong. Adding two intervening group process variables, interpersonal conflict and agreement-seeking, to the model greatly improved the overall relationship with strategic consensus. For the most part, TMT diversity had negative effects on strategic consensus. The model with superior fit showed both direct and indirect effects of diversity on strategic consensus. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.