IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v87y2014icp152-163.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How unlearning affects radical innovation: The dynamics of social capital and slack resources

Author

Listed:
  • Yang, Kuo-Pin
  • Chou, Christine
  • Chiu, Yu-Jen

Abstract

Radical innovations have enormous impacts on organizations, industries, and societies. The success of a radical innovation requires multiple facilitators within and across organizational boundaries. In this study, we distinguished the effects of two dimensions of organizational unlearning on radical innovation; these dimensions correspond to the different levels of social relations and slack resources possessed by the organizations. We conducted the research in the context of high-technology industries, including semiconductors, telecommunications, optoelectronics, and others. In total, 279 responses were received, representing 193 sample firms. The results showed that the change dimension of unlearning positively affects radical innovation, whereas the forgetting dimension has a negative effect. In addition, slack resources strengthen the positive relationship between the change dimension of unlearning and radical innovation. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the manner in which the integration of the theoretical perspectives of organizational unlearning, organizational resources, and social networks facilitates radical innovation. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Kuo-Pin & Chou, Christine & Chiu, Yu-Jen, 2014. "How unlearning affects radical innovation: The dynamics of social capital and slack resources," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 152-163.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:87:y:2014:i:c:p:152-163
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2013.12.014
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162513003211
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2013.12.014?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mary Tripsas & Giovanni Gavetti, 2000. "Capabilities, cognition, and inertia: evidence from digital imaging," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1147-1161, October.
    2. Antonio Capaldo, 2007. "Network structure and innovation: The leveraging of a dual network as a distinctive relational capability," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 585-608, June.
    3. Kaplan, Sarah & Tripsas, Mary, 2008. "Thinking about technology: Applying a cognitive lens to technical change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 790-805, June.
    4. Richard A. Bettis & C. K. Prahalad, 1995. "The dominant logic: Retrospective and extension," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(1), pages 5-14.
    5. Hubert Gatignon & Michael L. Tushman & Wendy Smith & Philip Anderson, 2002. "A Structural Approach to Assessing Innovation: Construct Development of Innovation Locus, Type, and Characteristics," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(9), pages 1103-1122, September.
    6. Peter N. Golder & Rachel Shacham & Debanjan Mitra, 2009. "—Innovations' Origins: When, By Whom, and How Are Radical Innovations Developed?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(1), pages 166-179, 01-02.
    7. Robert D. Dewar & Jane E. Dutton, 1986. "The Adoption of Radical and Incremental Innovations: An Empirical Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(11), pages 1422-1433, November.
    8. Greta Hsu & Michael T. Hannan, 2005. "Identities, Genres, and Organizational Forms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(5), pages 474-490, October.
    9. John E. Ettlie & William P. Bridges & Robert D. O'Keefe, 1984. "Organization Strategy and Structural Differences for Radical Versus Incremental Innovation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(6), pages 682-695, June.
    10. Mourad Dakhli & Dirk De Clercq, 2004. "Human capital, social capital, and innovation: a multi-country study," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 107-128, March.
    11. Dosi, Giovanni, 1993. "Technological paradigms and technological trajectories : A suggested interpretation of the determinants and directions of technical change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 102-103, April.
    12. Pérez-Luño, Ana & Cabello Medina, Carmen & Carmona Lavado, Antonio & Cuevas Rodríguez, Gloria, 2011. "How social capital and knowledge affect innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(12), pages 1369-1376.
    13. C. Lanier Benkard, 2000. "Learning and Forgetting: The Dynamics of Aircraft Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(4), pages 1034-1054, September.
    14. Florence Allard-Poesi, 1998. "Representations And Influence Processes In Groups: Towards A Socio-Cognitive Perspective On Cognition In Organization," Post-Print hal-01490579, HAL.
    15. Matthew S. Kraatz & Edward J. Zajac, 2001. "How Organizational Resources Affect Strategic Change and Performance in Turbulent Environments: Theory and Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(5), pages 632-657, October.
    16. Allard-Poesi, Florence, 1998. "Representations And Influence Processes In Groups: Towards A Socio-Cognitive Perspective On Cognition In Organization," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 395-420, December.
    17. Richard P. Rumelt, 1991. "How much does industry matter?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(3), pages 167-185, March.
    18. Brice Dattée & Henry Weil, 2007. "Dynamics of social factors in technological substitutions," Post-Print hal-02312753, HAL.
    19. Haridimos Tsoukas & Robert Chia, 2002. "On Organizational Becoming: Rethinking Organizational Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(5), pages 567-582, October.
    20. Peter Moran, 2005. "Structural vs. relational embeddedness: social capital and managerial performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(12), pages 1129-1151, December.
    21. Justin Tan & Mike W. Peng, 2003. "Organizational slack and firm performance during economic transitions: two studies from an emerging economy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(13), pages 1249-1263, December.
    22. Mohan Subramaniam & N. Venkatraman, 2001. "Determinants of transnational new product development capability: testing the influence of transferring and deploying tacit overseas knowledge," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 359-378, April.
    23. Germain, Richard, 1996. "The role of context and structure in radical and incremental logistics innovation adoption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 117-127, February.
    24. Pablo Martin de Holan & Nelson Phillips, 2004. "Remembrance of Things Past? The Dynamics of Organizational Forgetting," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(11), pages 1603-1613, November.
    25. Wang, Hsiao-Wen & Wu, Ming-Cheng, 2012. "Business type, industry value chain, and R&D performance: Evidence from high-tech firms in an emerging market," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 326-340.
    26. Billie Jo Zirger & Modesto A. Maidique, 1990. "A Model of New Product Development: An Empirical Test," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(7), pages 867-883, July.
    27. Morris M. Kleiner & Jerry Nickelsburg & Adam M. Pilarski, 2012. "Organizational and Individual Learning and Forgetting," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 65(1), pages 68-81, January.
    28. Michael T. Hannan & László Pólos & Glenn R. Carroll, 2007. "Language Matters, from Logics of Organization Theory: Audiences, Codes, and Ecologies," Introductory Chapters, in: Logics of Organization Theory: Audiences, Codes, and Ecologies, Princeton University Press.
    29. de Holan Pablo Martin & Nelson Phillips, 2004. "Remembrance of things past? : The Dynamics of Organizational Forgetting," Post-Print hal-02312935, HAL.
    30. L·szlÛ PÛlos & Michael T. Hannan, 2002. "Foundations of a theory of social forms," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 11(1), pages 85-115, February.
    31. Daniel Z. Levin & Rob Cross, 2004. "The Strength of Weak Ties You Can Trust: The Mediating Role of Trust in Effective Knowledge Transfer," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(11), pages 1477-1490, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Christoph P. Kiefer & Pablo Del Río González & Javier Carrillo‐Hermosilla, 2019. "Drivers and barriers of eco‐innovation types for sustainable transitions: A quantitative perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 155-172, January.
    2. Cegarra-Navarro, Juan-Gabriel & Wensley, Anthony & Batistic, Sasa & Evans, Max & Para, Clara Cubillas, 2021. "Minimizing the effects of defensive routines on knowledge hiding though unlearning," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 58-68.
    3. Montserrat Manzaneque & Alfonso A. Rojo-Ramírez & Julio Diéguez-Soto & Maria J. Martínez-Romero, 2020. "How negative aspiration performance gaps affect innovation efficiency," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 209-233, January.
    4. Atif Açıkgöz & Irem Demirkan & Gary P. Latham & Cemil Kuzey, 2021. "The Relationship Between Unlearning and Innovation Ambidexterity with the Performance of New Product Development Teams," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 945-982, August.
    5. Emilio Domínguez-Escrig & Francisco Fermín Mallén-Broch & Rafael Lapiedra-Alcamí & Ricardo Chiva-Gómez, 2019. "The Influence of Leaders’ Stewardship Behavior on Innovation Success: The Mediating Effect of Radical Innovation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 849-862, October.
    6. Zhang, JingJing & Guan, Jiancheng, 2018. "The time-varying impacts of government incentives on innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 132-144.
    7. Fanny Simon & Albéric Tellier, 2016. "Balancing contradictory temporality during the unfold of innovation streams," Post-Print hal-01572302, HAL.
    8. Emilio Domínguez Escrig & Francisco Fermín Mallén Broch & Rafael Lapiedra Alcamí & Ricardo Chiva Gómez, 2020. "How to enhance radical innovation? The importance of organizational design and generative learning," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 1101-1122, October.
    9. Badri Munir Sukoco & Les Tien-Shang Lee, 2017. "The Effects Of Psychological Capital And Team Strain On The Effectiveness Of Npd Teams: The Moderating Role Of Perceived Diversity Climate," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(04), pages 1-30, May.
    10. Yanhui Jiang & Chongyang Wei & Zhi Yang & Ulaganathan Subramanian, 2018. "Does Stronger R&D Capability Always Promote Better Innovation? The Moderating Role Of Knowledge Boundary Spanning Of R&D Network," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(07), pages 1-22, October.
    11. Akgün, Ali E. & Keskin, Halit & Byrne, John C. & Lynn, Gary S., 2014. "Antecedents and consequences of organizations' technology sensemaking capability," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 216-231.
    12. Lina Liu & Bo Yu & Weiwei Wu, 2019. "The Formation and Effects of Exploitative Dynamic Capabilities and Explorative Dynamic Capabilities: An Empirical Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-21, May.
    13. Julia K. de Groote & Werner Conrad & Andreas Hack, 2021. "How can family businesses survive disruptive industry changes? Insights from the traditional mail order industry," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(8), pages 2239-2273, November.
    14. Shuochen Wei & Lifang Wang & Wenbo Jiang & Liwei Feng & Taiwen Feng, 2023. "How eco‐control systems enhance carbon performance via low‐carbon supply chain collaboration? The moderating role of organizational unlearning," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2536-2554, September.
    15. Ziyi Zhao & Yulu Yan, 2023. "The Role of Organizational Unlearning in Manufacturing Firms’ Sustainable Digital Innovation: The Mechanism of Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Slack," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dean A. Shepherd & Jeffery S. Mcmullen & William Ocasio, 2017. "Is that an opportunity? An attention model of top managers' opportunity beliefs for strategic action," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 626-644, March.
    2. Kristina McElheran, 2015. "Do Market Leaders Lead in Business Process Innovation? The Case(s) of E-business Adoption," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(6), pages 1197-1216, June.
    3. Pérez-Luño, Ana & Cabello Medina, Carmen & Carmona Lavado, Antonio & Cuevas Rodríguez, Gloria, 2011. "How social capital and knowledge affect innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(12), pages 1369-1376.
    4. Maxim Kotsemir & Alexander Abroskin & Dirk Meissner, 2013. "Innovation concepts and typology – an evolutionary discussion," HSE Working papers WP BRP 05/STI/2013, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    5. Pierre-Xavier Meschi & Emmanuel Métais, 2007. "Expérience, oubli organisationnel et motifs de désinvestissement des acquisitions internationales:le cas des acquisitions françaises aux États-Unis (1988-2004)," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 10(4), pages 73-109, December.
    6. Dost Mir & Arshad Muhammad & Afsar Bilal, 2018. "The Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Types of Process Innovation Capabilities and Moderating Role of Social Capital," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 8(4), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Linda Argote & Sunkee Lee & Jisoo Park, 2021. "Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5399-5429, September.
    8. Brice Dattée & James Barlow, 2017. "Multilevel Organizational Adaptation: Scale Invariance in the Scottish Healthcare System," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 301-319, April.
    9. Benedikt Schnellbächer & Sven Heidenreich, 2020. "The role of individual ambidexterity for organizational performance: examining effects of ambidextrous knowledge seeking and offering," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1535-1561, October.
    10. Callen Anthony & Andrew J. Nelson & Mary Tripsas, 2016. "“Who Are You?…I Really Wanna Know”: Product Meaning and Competitive Positioning in the Nascent Synthesizer Industry," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(3), pages 163-183, September.
    11. Mary Tripsas, 2009. "Technology, Identity, and Inertia Through the Lens of “The Digital Photography Company”," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 441-460, April.
    12. Lo, Jade Y. & Nag, Rajiv & Xu, Lei & Agung, Shanti D., 2020. "Organizational innovation efforts in multiple emerging market categories: Exploring the interplay of opportunity, ambiguity, and socio-cognitive contexts," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    13. Qadri, Mubashar & Mamoon, Dawood, 2016. "Creating Shared Value: Social Capital as a Source to Drive Next Wave of Innovation for Socioeconomic Revenues," MPRA Paper 72554, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Nina Granqvist & Stine Grodal & Jennifer L. Woolley, 2013. "Hedging Your Bets: Explaining Executives' Market Labeling Strategies in Nanotechnology," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(2), pages 395-413, April.
    15. Christian W. Scheiner & Christian V. Baccarella & Nina Feller & Kai-Ingo Voigt & John Bessant, 2016. "Organisational And Individual Unlearning In Identification And Evaluation Of Technologies," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(02), pages 1-27, February.
    16. Shinjinee Chattopadhyay & Janet Bercovitz, 2020. "When one door closes, another door opens … for some: Evidence from the post‐TRIPS Indian pharmaceutical industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(6), pages 988-1022, June.
    17. Edward G. Anderson & Kyle Lewis, 2014. "A Dynamic Model of Individual and Collective Learning Amid Disruption," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(2), pages 356-376, April.
    18. Julia K. de Groote & Werner Conrad & Andreas Hack, 2021. "How can family businesses survive disruptive industry changes? Insights from the traditional mail order industry," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(8), pages 2239-2273, November.
    19. Dirk Martignoni & Thomas Keil, 2021. "It did not work? Unlearn and try again—Unlearning success and failure beliefs in changing environments," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(6), pages 1057-1082, June.
    20. Mubashar Majeed QADRI & Dawood MAMOON, 2016. "Understanding ‘Shared Valued’ and Social Capital Link to Pave the Path of next Generation of Innovation," Journal of Economics Library, KSP Journals, vol. 3(4), pages 587-602, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:87:y:2014:i:c:p:152-163. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.