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Instrumental and affective ties within the laboratory: The impact of informal cliques on innovative productivity

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  • Manuel Gómez‐Solórzano
  • Marco Tortoriello
  • Giuseppe Soda

Abstract

Research Summary In this paper, we contribute to research on networks and innovation by distinguishing between instrumental and affective ties and assessing their impact on individual innovativeness. In particular, using original data from the corporate R&D laboratory of a global pharmaceutical company, we evaluate how a specific structural arrangement (i.e., belonging to a clique) affects inventors' innovative productivity. Our results show that both instrumental/knowledge‐sharing cliques and affective/friendship cliques correlate positively with inventors' innovative productivity. However, we also observe that when inventors straddle knowledge‐sharing and friendship cliques, their innovative productivity declines. Managerial Summary Firms competing in knowledge‐intensive industries rely on the productivity of their inventors to develop innovations. Within these firms, inventors' innovative productivity is influenced by the people they interact with and by the benefits and costs associated with maintaining these relationships. We find that inventors' innovative productivity is enhanced by having strong and embedded relationships with their colleagues, regardless of these relationships being based on knowledge‐sharing ties or friendship ties. However, when inventors are caught in between strong knowledge‐sharing ties and strong friendship ties, their innovative productivity suffers, ultimately hampering the firm's innovative capabilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Manuel Gómez‐Solórzano & Marco Tortoriello & Giuseppe Soda, 2019. "Instrumental and affective ties within the laboratory: The impact of informal cliques on innovative productivity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(10), pages 1593-1609, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:stratm:v:40:y:2019:i:10:p:1593-1609
    DOI: 10.1002/smj.3045
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    Cited by:

    1. Mengxing Song & Lingling Guo & Jianwei Shen, 2023. "The Relationship between Alumni Network and Exploratory Innovation: The Mediating Role of Enterprise Risk-Taking," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Rueger, Jasmina & Dolfsma, Wilfred & Aalbers, Rick, 2021. "Perception of peer advice in online health communities: Access to lay expertise," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Zhou, Meihua & Angelopoulos, Spyros & Ou, Carol & Liu, Hongwei & Liang, Zhouyang, 2023. "Optimization of dynamic product offerings on online marketplaces: A network theory perspective," Other publications TiSEM 75d71155-88bf-4ff7-aba1-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Song, Le & Ma, Yinghong, 2022. "Evaluating tacit knowledge diffusion with algebra matrix algorithm based social networks," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 428(C).
    5. Jiang, Syuan-Yi, 2022. "Transition and innovation ecosystem – investigating technologies, focal actors, and institution in eHealth innovations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    6. Vincenzo Corvello & Maria Cristina Chimenti & Carlo Giglio & Saverino Verteramo, 2020. "An Investigation on the Use by Academic Researchers of Knowledge from Scientific Social Networking Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-16, November.

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