The Dark Side of Incremental Innovation: Age, Role Seniority, and Cohesiveness in R&D Teams

Abstract

This study examines the influence of team members’ age, role seniority on incremental innovation in the high-tech industry, and the effect of team cohesiveness on that relationship. Based on 108 research and development (R&D) teams operating in six high-tech organizations, its results indicate that age and role seniority each exert a different influence on incremental innovation. Specifically, results demonstrate that team age is negatively related to incremental innovation, whereas role seniority shows the opposite tendency. They also reveal that the negative association between team members’ age and incremental innovation can diminish when role seniority is high. In addition, the study shows that these relationships are strengthened by team cohesiveness. The study demonstrates that the negative association between team members’ age and incremental innovation is stronger for teams with high levels of cohesiveness. At the same time, it suggests that high levels of team cohesiveness strengthen the positive association between team members’ role seniority and incremental innovation. These findings advance the innovation literature and have important implications for managers and team leaders in high-tech organizations.