Group culture and its effect on innovative productivity

Abstract

Abstract In this study, the concept of internal receptivity to new ideas and innovation, termed innovativeness, was explored as an aspect of group culture. The connection between innovative productivity and culture was tested empirically at the group level of analysis. Innovativeness was hypothesized to effect innovative productivity (e.g., the number of new technical innovations adopted), and it was hypothesized to be related to beliefs about four other dimensions of group culture: decision making, power sharing, support and collaboration, and an emphasis on developing people and careers. This study included 8,969 individuals located in 38 groups in a large research and development agency of the United States Government. Results confirmed the hypothesized relationship between innovativeness of the culture and innovative productivity. After controlling for structural properties (i.e., size of group and work force composition), higher levels of innovativeness were significantly associated with greater innovative productivity; further, groups with cultures that emphasized people and career development and participative decision making were associated with higher levels of cultural innovativeness.