An empirical research on the effect of informal interaction on team′s innovation performance

SHEN Chao-Hong; LI Yong-Lian; CHENG Fei

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Science Research Management ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2) : 200-208.

An empirical research on the effect of informal interaction on team′s innovation performance

Shen Chaohong, Li Yonglian, Cheng Fei

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Abstract

It was found by Potter that national economic development goes through three stages, namely resource-driven, capital-driven and innovation-driven. Among them, economic competitiveness gained from innovation is the most enduring. At present, China is in the critical period of transition from the second stage to the third stage. The policy of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" came at the right time. Therefore, how to promote innovation to obtain lasting competitive advantage is a topic worthy studying.

Under the guidance of social construction theory, this paper proposes research hypothesis and theoretical model through literature research. After questionnaire survey, it is found that: First, informal interaction has a significant positive impact on team innovation performance. Second, the degree of information sharing mediates the relationship between informal interactions and innovation performance. When there are more informal interactions in the team, the quantity and quality of information shared by members will increase significantly, thereby improving innovation performance. Third, the effect of informal interaction on team innovation performance is moderated by task uncertainty. The higher the task uncertainty, the greater informal interaction impacts on innovation performance.

The theoretical implication of this study is to reintroduce the social construction, a generally neglected analytical tool, into the research horizon. Social construction provides a new perspective for individuals to think about and analyze problems, so that they can explain various social phenomena through the interaction between people in social relationships. According to the knowledge view of social constructivism, when knowledge is regarded as an objective reality, it is constructed through the interaction of subjects, namely inter-subjectivity. The generation of knowledge and the realization of innovation are the products of "social construction". Interaction is the key way to realize social construction.

The findings of this study have important practical implications in emphasizing on economic transformation today. This is because the survival and development of enterprises depend increasingly on innovation and the research and development of new products. Such uncertain task requires more informal interaction to improve the quantity and quality of innovation. How to improve the degree of informal interaction and learn from the experience of successful people, companies can make efforts in the following two aspects:

On one hand, they can create time for informal interactions across disciplines and departments. Israel has become a "start-up nation" due to its compulsory military service system, which includes 2-4 weeks of intensive training every year. Regular training every year, until the age of 45, lays the foundation for building mutual trust and in-depth communication, and improves the possibility of interdisciplinary innovation. Capsule camera is a typical product of interdisciplinary innovation. It not only combines the missile and medical fields, but also involves optics, electronics, batteries, wireless data transmission, and software that helps doctors perform analysis.

On the other hand, they can create spaces for informal interaction. Corning, the inventor of television picture tubes, optical fibers, and Gorilla capacitive touch glass, redesigned the headquarters building to increase informal interaction between employees under the guidance of Allen, a psychologist. Using glass and mirror walls increases the visual connection between office members. Encouraging vertical motion by escalators, ramps and traditional elevators reduces the time and trouble of walking between departments. Setting an area increases the opportunity of free discussion, which includes comfortable seats and writeable whiteboard near the drinking room. After six months of operation, its innovation performance rose by 10%.

This study provides theoretical and empirical guide for the building design of Chinese enterprises, universities and research institutions. In order to improve innovation performance, it is particularly important to create a time and space for face-to-face informal interaction among interdisciplinary and interdepartmental people. Nowadays, virtual interaction is developed and face-to-face interaction is decreasing. The design of many new campuses and research buildings deviate from the theory of social construction, and the degree of person interaction is significantly reduced, which would make it difficult to promote economic development from "capital-driven" to "innovation-driven".

Key words

social construction / informal interaction / team′s innovation performance / degree of information sharing / uncertainty of task

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Shen Chaohong, Li Yonglian, Cheng Fei. An empirical research on the effect of informal interaction on team′s innovation performance[J]. Science Research Management. 2021, 42(2): 200-208

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