Top managers' communication efforts as response to tensions in product innovation: an attention-based view
Pan Fagerlin, Wen LU
and Wang, Yueqi
(2021)
In Baltic Journal of Management
16(1).
- Abstract
- Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to map different kinds of tensions in product innovation and investigate how top managers use communication to shape subordinates' attention and thereby respond to these tensions.
Design/methodology/approach:
This study adopted an embedded case study of four innovation centers within a Nordic multinational firm.
Findings:
This study identifies three kinds of tensions that reside in product innovation, namely dilemma, paradox and trade-off. Further, this study reveals how joint attention (among top managers and subordinates) as a response to tensions can be achieved through different aggregates of top managers' communication efforts.
Originality/value:
In... (More) - Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to map different kinds of tensions in product innovation and investigate how top managers use communication to shape subordinates' attention and thereby respond to these tensions.
Design/methodology/approach:
This study adopted an embedded case study of four innovation centers within a Nordic multinational firm.
Findings:
This study identifies three kinds of tensions that reside in product innovation, namely dilemma, paradox and trade-off. Further, this study reveals how joint attention (among top managers and subordinates) as a response to tensions can be achieved through different aggregates of top managers' communication efforts.
Originality/value:
In opening the black box of tensions in product innovation and identifying multiple tensions, this study contributes to advancing the understanding of the attention-based view. Different from previous studies that simply consider communication as channels for information processing, the findings indicate that the contents and practices of communication can help top managers to shape subordinates' attention and thereby respond to tensions. This study also extends the research focus of attention from top managers to the whole organization, by revealing the importance of building a joint pattern of attention among top managers and subordinates.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/e3748c55-7cdf-4154-bbb8-32aabf65ea8e
- author
- Pan Fagerlin, Wen
LU
and Wang, Yueqi
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Organizational tension, Top manager, Attention-based view, Communication, Product innovation
- in
- Baltic Journal of Management
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 1
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85090307004
- ISSN
- 1746-5265
- DOI
- 10.1108/BJM-01-2020-0024
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- e3748c55-7cdf-4154-bbb8-32aabf65ea8e
- date added to LUP
- 2025-12-18 13:59:25
- date last changed
- 2025-12-19 04:00:45
@article{e3748c55-7cdf-4154-bbb8-32aabf65ea8e,
abstract = {{Purpose:<br/>The purpose of this study is to map different kinds of tensions in product innovation and investigate how top managers use communication to shape subordinates' attention and thereby respond to these tensions.<br/><br/>Design/methodology/approach:<br/>This study adopted an embedded case study of four innovation centers within a Nordic multinational firm.<br/><br/>Findings:<br/>This study identifies three kinds of tensions that reside in product innovation, namely dilemma, paradox and trade-off. Further, this study reveals how joint attention (among top managers and subordinates) as a response to tensions can be achieved through different aggregates of top managers' communication efforts.<br/><br/>Originality/value:<br/>In opening the black box of tensions in product innovation and identifying multiple tensions, this study contributes to advancing the understanding of the attention-based view. Different from previous studies that simply consider communication as channels for information processing, the findings indicate that the contents and practices of communication can help top managers to shape subordinates' attention and thereby respond to tensions. This study also extends the research focus of attention from top managers to the whole organization, by revealing the importance of building a joint pattern of attention among top managers and subordinates.<br/>}},
author = {{Pan Fagerlin, Wen and Wang, Yueqi}},
issn = {{1746-5265}},
keywords = {{Organizational tension; Top manager; Attention-based view; Communication; Product innovation}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Baltic Journal of Management}},
title = {{Top managers' communication efforts as response to tensions in product innovation: an attention-based view}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/BJM-01-2020-0024}},
doi = {{10.1108/BJM-01-2020-0024}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2021}},
}