Creative Systems, Social Networks, and New Product Development: Two Essays Examining the Impact of Connected Teams and Heavyweight Leaders on Marketing Outcomes

• Other Authors: Satornino, Cinthia Beccacece (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Marketing
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9086

The overall objective of this dissertation is to enhance understanding of the role of social networks in creative systems and new product development. Two essays examine the effects of local and global social network characteristics on key marketing outcomes. Conventional team configuration strategies encompass descriptive measures, such as demographic and functional variables, to achieve a team configuration comprised of cross-functional diversity. However, systems theory suggests that social networks are an important contextual component of team performance. This research identifies key network characteristics that impact team performance in creative contexts such as new product development. Findings suggest that social networks are an important factor in team configuration, and ultimately in downstream team performance outcomes. As marketers evolve into leaders of new product development teams, creative teams, and sales teams, the insights from this body of work will have important practical implications. The first essay establishes the baseline effects of team social network characteristics on product quality, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. Findings demonstrate that social network characteristics are an important component of team configuration. In the context of creative industries, significant effects were found between team network characteristics and marketing outcomes. Interestingly, results demonstrate that the commonly held belief that cohesive teams increase team performance does not necessarily hold in creative contexts. The work uncovers the ripple effect internal team structures can have on the performance of creative products, even in cases of remote services, where the customer does not directly interact with the team. Thus, the findings contribute to the body of scholarly work on teams and social networks, and they offer insights for practitioners regarding the costs and benefits of highly connected and highly cohesive teams. In the second essay, employing the systems theory of creativity, the examination of the structural mechanisms impacting team performance deepens to include the effect of team leaders. Specifically, it examines the effect of "heavyweight" leaders on team performance as measured by product quality assessments and customer satisfaction. Team leader clout is found to have a significant effect on third-party product quality assessments, impact the availability of financial resources, and offset the negative effect of high cohesion on team performance. Moreover, a curvilinear relationship between cohesion and product quality assessments is identified, suggesting that moderately cohesive teams outperform teams with low or high levels of cohesion and providing clarity to the negative effect identified in essay one. This work, therefore, extends the insights in the first essay and sheds additional light on the impacts of social networks on team performance, including the distinct effect of team leader networks. Taken together, the two essays offer insights for managers of new product development teams, sales teams, and teams engaged in creative processes where novelty, innovation, and originality are valued. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Marketing in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Summer Semester, 2014. === June 12, 2014. === Creative Systems, Film Industry, New Product Development, Social Capital, Social Networks, Team Performance === Includes bibliographical references. === Michael K. Brady, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gerald R. Ferris, University Representative; Michael Brusco, Committee Member; Charles F. Hofacker, Committee Member.