scholarly journals Top management team diversity and firm performance: Empirical evidence from the fashion and luxury industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 325-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Rocco Cambrea ◽  
Giorgia Lussana ◽  
Fabio Quarato ◽  
Paola Varacca Capello

The purpose of this study is to advance the current understanding of the relationship between top management team (TMT) diversity and firm performance in the fashion and luxury industries. Predictions from the relevant theoretical perspectives – namely, Upper Echelons and Social Psychology theories – are often conflicting, and the controversial nature of this phenomenon together with the lack of empirical studies in the fashion and luxury industries have inspired the research question to investigate the link between TMT diversity and firm performance. Moreover, this is even more relevant in a setting where human capital management is one of the main keys to the long-term survival of fashion and luxury brands. To this extent, a principal component analysis and subsequent regression analyses have been performed on a sample of 78 listed companies operating in the fashion and luxury industries, over the five-year period 2011-2015. Results indicate that TMTs with greater gender, international experience, and educational background diversity are positively associated with higher firm performance. Hence, we found support for the Upper Echelons Theory, which predicts organizational outcomes as a function of managerial characteristics, thus offering few practical implications for companies operating in these industries.

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wu ◽  
Orlando C. Richard ◽  
Xinhe Zhang ◽  
Craig Macaulay

Top management team (TMT) heterogeneity research has not yet clearly revealed whether surface-level diversity (i.e., national culture, gender, age) contributes to or detracts from a firm’s financial performance and has not focused on how strategic change frequency (number international diversification or refocusing activities) serves as an intervening mechanism. Based on a sample of 1,993 firms between 2003 and 2015, we examine the mediating role of strategic change frequency in the relationship between surface-level diversity and long-term firm performance. Grounded in the upper echelons perspective, we find that TMT surface-level diversity increases rather than decreases strategic change frequency. Furthermore, our results are consistent with our hypothesized positive relationship between strategic change frequency and long-term firm performance. More important, we also find support for a longitudinal-based mediation model in which strategic change frequency in terms of diversification/refocusing actions (Time 2) transmits the positive effect of TMT surface-level diversity (Time 1) to long-term financial performance (Time 3) without accounting for any moderated conditions suggesting that mediation models warrant more utilization in the upper echelons research and internationalization research domains. Implications for the upper echelons theory in a more global world as if relates to the often unexplored surface-level diversity are offered.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wein-Hong Chen ◽  
Min-Ping Kang ◽  
Bella Butler

Purpose Penrose’s argument regarding the managerial constraint on continual expansion over two consecutive periods is termed the “Penrose effect,” a relatively less investigated premise in Penrose’s growth theory. The purpose of this paper is to empirically re-examine the Penrose effect from the perspective of upper echelons theory and investigated how top management team (TMT) composition influences the continual growth of a firm. Design/methodology/approach This study empirically tested the hypotheses based on a sample of listed manufacturing firms operating in Taiwan, a newly industrialized economy in the Asia–Pacific region. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses were applied to test hypotheses. Findings The empirical results suggest that low TMT diversity (in terms of educational, functional and team tenure diversity) is likely to engender a situation in which the Penrose effect might occur. Additionally, the results indicate that the proportion of functional executives plays a significant role in influencing the growth trend over two consecutive periods and may soften the impact of the Penrose effect. Practical implications This paper suggests that appropriate structuring of TMTs and appropriate management of their members’ backgrounds and team tenure diversity can help firms overcome the Penrose effect and grow continually. Furthermore, the proportion of functional executives in a TMT is influential. Originality/value This paper uniquely contributes to the theoretical and empirical development of Penrose’s growth theory, upper echelons theory and resource-based view concerning managerial resources.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
J. Ruben Boling ◽  
Mariangela Vecchiarini

Abstract The current study draws on the upper echelons theory to examine the nature of the relationship between top management team (TMT) tenure and a firm's level of entrepreneurial orientation (EO). We find evidence of an inverted-U relationship between TMT tenure and EO using data from firms across three industries with varied industry dynamics. We further introduce a contingency element by demonstrating that TMT industry background heterogeneity moderates the relationship between TMT tenure and EO, where the inverted U-shaped relationship will be more pronounced when the heterogeneity is low and will flatten when the heterogeneity is high. The findings demonstrate the complexity CEOs and governing bodies face while shaping a diverse TMT that can affect EO.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongtao Zhou ◽  
Yi Zhou ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Xu Zhao ◽  
Weijing Chen

Patent strategy is increasingly recognized as a vital contributor in promoting core competitiveness of an enterprise. A top management team (TMT) has been indicated as one of the key factors driving changes in patent strategy. Based on upper echelons theory, this study examines how TMT characteristics, including, team diversity, emotional intelligence, and safety climate, influence enterprise patent strategic change and, hence, the business outcome. The data from 930 top managers in 228 enterprises showed that the changes in patent strategies are significantly influenced by the characteristics of top managers. These aforementioned internal TMT factors have diverse effects on the speed and scope of the enterprise patent strategic change, which in turn affects firm performance in a positive and negative way, respectively.


2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Qun Wei ◽  
Chung-Ming Lau ◽  
Michael N Young ◽  
Zhihui Wang

Author(s):  
David P. Tegarden ◽  
Linda F. Tegarden ◽  
Steven D. Sheetz

The cognitive diversity of top management teams has been shown to affect the performance of a firm. In some cases, cognitive diversity has been shown to improve firm performance, in other cases, it has worsened firm performance. Either way, it is useful to understand the cognitive diversity of a top management team. However, most approaches to measure cognitive diversity never attempt to open the “black box” to understand what makes up the cognitive diversity of the team. This research reports on an approach that identifies diverse belief structures, i.e., cognitive factions, through the use of causal mapping and cluster analysis. The results show that the use of causal mapping provides an efficient and effective way to identify idiosyncratic and shared knowledge among members of a top management team. This approach allows the cognitive diversity of the top management team to not only to be uncovered, but also to be understood.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 2063-2079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yawei Liu ◽  
M. Awais Gulzar ◽  
Zhaoguo Zhang ◽  
Qingxiang Yang

Using Chinese listed firms' data from 2008 to 2012, we explored, on the basis of upper echelons theory, whether and how top management team (TMT) age heterogeneity affects corporate social responsibility (CSR) and if TMT interaction and TMT education moderate this relationship. Results revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between TMT age heterogeneity and CSR, in which TMT interaction played a moderating role; however, TMT education did not moderate the relationship. These results are helpful and significant for the understanding of CSR strategy, and for the improvement of human resource management.


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