Abstract
Innovation is a critical organizational outcome for its potential to generate competitive advantage. While the contribution of knowledge workers to the generation of innovation is widely recognized, little is known about how organizational incentive mechanisms stimulate or inhibit these workers' behaviors that promote innovation. This study examines the relationship between pay dispersion in R&D groups and firm innovation using employee-level compensation data in US high-technology firms. The results show that (1) pay dispersion in R&D groups is negatively related to firm innovation and (2) this negative relationship is alleviated in firms with greater financial slack. This study contributes to the innovation literature by illuminating the implications of organizational incentive systems for successful innovation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1502-1511 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Strategic Management Journal |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 Dec |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- R&D employees
- high-technology firms
- human capital management
- innovation
- pay dispersion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Strategy and Management