Business Commons^™

Linking Managerial Capital With Explorative Strategy And Growth In China, Stern Neill, Minhua Wu, Terry W. Noel

Marketing

Purpose –This study aims to consider the effect of managerial capital (psychological, intellectual and social) on business strategy and growth. Per upper echelon theory, managerial capital enables high-level managers to drive firm performance in uniquely personal ways. The authors test the effects of managerial capital on a manager’s dominant regulatory focus (promotion and prevention balance) and whether having an explorative strategy mediates the relationship between dominant regulatory focus and the percentage of business unit growth expected from new lines of business.

Design/methodology/approach – Survey data from a sample of 211 Chinese executives were used to assess measurement and test …

The Influence Of Managerial Optimism And Self-Regulation On Learning And Business Growth Expectations Within An Emerging Economic Context, Stern Neill, Raghuvar Dutt Pathak, Barbara A. Ribbens, Terry W. Noel, Gurmeet Singh

Marketing

This paper examines psychological and behavioral mechanisms that underlie business growth expectations by examining how managerial optimism and self-regulatory focus influence learning behaviors. To empirically examine these relationships, the study situates in a resource-constrained business context by studying managers in two Pacific Island economies. Results indicate that a positive view toward gains encourages exploratory learning in unknown situations; whereas, a less optimistic disposition and avoidance are related to exploitative learning. This finding is consequential as managerial learning that leans toward development of new insights and possibilities is associated with greater business growth expectations versus learning that adheres to familiar and …