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How employees respond to client feedback on their creative work: a microfoundations approach to absorptive capacity

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  • Cheng-Hua Tzeng

    (Fudan University School of Management)

Abstract

To understand how employees respond to client feedback on their creative work, we conducted a case study of a Chinese advertisement agency. Adopting a microfoundations approach to absorptive capacity, we found that in responding to the client’s coercive feedback-giving moves, the account manager engaged in defending feedback-screening moves. As for creative workers, who responded to client feedback by resistance-oriented feedback-receiving moves, the account manager resorted to acceptance-induced feedback-transferring moves. We contribute by revealing interorganizational power dynamics and internal resistance in absorptive capacity processes, the role of feedback mediator, and the effect of feedback communications on a firm’s absorptive capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheng-Hua Tzeng, 2023. "How employees respond to client feedback on their creative work: a microfoundations approach to absorptive capacity," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(3), pages 1155-1184, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:22:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1057_s41291-022-00198-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41291-022-00198-y
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