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Performance feedback and middle managers’ divergent strategic behavior: The roles of social comparisons and organizational identification

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  • Murat Tarakci
  • Nüfer Yasin Ateş
  • Steven W. Floyd
  • Yoojung Ahn
  • Bill Wooldridge

Abstract

Research Summary: What drives middle managers to search for new strategic initiatives and champion them to top management? This behavior—labeled divergent strategic behavior—spawns emergent strategies and thereby provides one of the essential ingredients of strategic renewal. We conceptualize divergent strategic behavior as a response to performance feedback. Data from 123 senior middle managers overseeing 21 multi‐country organizations (MCOs) of a Fortune 500 firm point to social performance comparisons rather than historical comparisons in driving divergent strategic behavior. Moreover, managers’ organizational identification affects whether they attend to organizational‐ or individual‐level feedback. These results contribute to research on performance aspirations and strategy process by providing a multilevel, multidimensional framework of performance aspirations in middle management driven strategic renewal. Managerial Summary: Middle managers are essential actors in strategic renewal. Their unique positions offer insights into operations alongside knowledge of strategy. In contrast to typical assessments of managerial performance with reference to a prior year, this research shows that performance comparisons relative to peers and other organizational units better motivate managers’ divergent strategic behavior. Our results also show that managers who identify with the firm are more attentive to organizational rather than individual performance discrepancies. Thus, our study unveils an important approach for organizations aiming to spark strategic renewal.

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  • Murat Tarakci & Nüfer Yasin Ateş & Steven W. Floyd & Yoojung Ahn & Bill Wooldridge, 2018. "Performance feedback and middle managers’ divergent strategic behavior: The roles of social comparisons and organizational identification," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 1139-1162, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:stratm:v:39:y:2018:i:4:p:1139-1162
    DOI: 10.1002/smj.2745
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    3. Pramendra Singh Tank, 2023. "Unlocking the Power of Accelerators: The Crucial Role of Institutions in Boosting New Venture Performance," IIMA Working Papers WP 2023-04-04, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    4. Liying Huang & Lerong He & Guangqing Yang, 2021. "Performance Shortfalls and R&D Investment Change: Aspirations, Actions, and Expectations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
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    6. Diwei Lv, David & Zhu, Hang & Chen, Weihong & Lan, Hailin, 2021. "Negative performance feedback and firm cooperation: How multiple upward social comparisons affect firm cooperative R&D," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 872-883.
    7. Yuanyuan Hu & Shouming Chen & Runshi Liu & Yi Dai, 2023. "Managers’ aspirations and quality of CSR reports: evidence from China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Fazal-E-Hasan, Syed Muhammad & Neale, Larry & Sekhon, Harjit & Mortimer, Gary & Brittain, Ian & Sekhon, Jaswinder, 2021. "The path to game-day attendance runs through sports fan rituals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 308-318.
    9. Lv, David Diwei & Chen, Weihong & Zhu, Hang & Lan, Hailin, 2019. "How does inconsistent negative performance feedback affect the R&D investments of firms? A study of publicly listed firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 151-162.
    10. Samir L. Vaz & Anneloes M. L. Raes & Mariano L. M. Heyden, 2022. "Realizing implementation through relational exchanges with top managers: the mediating role of middle managers’ divergent strategic behavior," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 81-108, March.
    11. Songsong Cheng & Qunpeng Fan & Yang Song, 2023. "Performance Gap and Innovation Ambidexterity: A Moderated Mediation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-22, February.
    12. Dong, Meitong & Wang, Liwen & Yang, Defeng & Zhou, Kevin Zheng, 2022. "Performance feedback and export intensity of Chinese private firms: Moderating roles of institution-related factors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3).
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