Mary Crossan

The University of Western Ontario | UWO · Ivey Business School

This study systematically evaluates the effects of human capital and learning rate under typical organizational contexts with information distortion (i.e., no distortion, individual forgetting, and information misrepresentation) and environmental conditions (i.e., personnel turnover and environmental turbulence). The multi‐agent simulation model re...

This collective essay was born out of a desire to honor and remember Professor Mark Easterby-Smith, a founder of the Management Learning community. To do this, we invited community members to share their experiences of working with Mark. The resulting narratives remember Mark as a co-author, co-researcher, project manager, conference organizer, res...

We investigated the relationship between self-ratings of leader character and follower positive outcomes-namely, subjective well-being, resilience, organizational commitment, and work engagement-in a public-sector organization using a time-lagged cross-sectional design involving 188 leader-follower dyads and 22 offices. Our study is an important st...

Strategy scholars and practitioners can tap into the deep reservoir of organizational learning (OL) research to address: how is OL uniquely positioned to contribute to the advancement of strategic management? Elevating OL in strategy research has never been more important, given the grand challenges facing our world, requiring strategy to extend be...

Leader character has emerged as a critical foundation for leadership. In spite of the view that leader character can be developed, there has been limited holistic attention to what it takes to develop character. Character requires conscious development, and that conscious development not only requires an understanding of what character is, but how...

Despite a growing body of research by management scholars to understand and explain failures in ethical decision making (EDM), misconduct prevails. Scholars have identified character, founded in virtue ethics, as an important perspective that can help to address the gap in organizational misconduct. While character has been offered as a valid persp...

Organizational learning provides a sustainable competitive advantage for an enterprise facing a highly volatile environment, and managers’ knowledge sharing strategies are of vital importance to organizational learning. This study systematically evaluates the effects of managers’ knowledge distortion types (i.e., misrepresentation and omission), di...

We propose music as a methodology to activate and develop character. Music has emerged in its own right as an important area of research linked to a variety of outcomes, many of which are shared interests in the field of leader character including well-being, transformation, and various performance outcomes. We forge critical connections between mu...

While the construct of character is well grounded in philosophy, ethics, and more recently psychology, it lags in acceptance and legitimacy within management research and mainstream practice. Our research seeks to remedy this through four contributions. First, we offer a framework of leader character that provides rigor through a three-phase, multi...

Business schools strive to develop leadership excellence in their students. In this essay, we suggest that educators should find ways to help students develop and deepen leader character, a fundamental component of exemplary leadership. Frequently, business school students have preconceived ideas of leadership, often neglecting leader character. We...

In this chapter, we seek to elaborate how character is developed in business schools both deliberately and often unintentionally. We explore how character development can be purposefully embedded in specific leadership as well as functional courses and propose how business schools influence character development in perhaps a more unconscious manner...

Our research has sought to close the gap between theory and practice by engaging executives in discussions about leader character and examining what it means to apply virtues in practice at work. We describe a holistic framework of leader character derived from a research program seeking to close the theory/practice gap. We employ the case study of...

Whereas the micro- and macro-oriented leadership literatures have often studied leader competencies necessary for effective performance, the role of leader character in relation to competencies and performance has been to a large extent neglected. Our work seeks to shift the scholarly dialogue by introducing the concept of character-competence enta...

This paper aims to answer the question: how do knowledge workers’ improvisation processes promote both knowledge transfer and protection in knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs)? A model is proposed identifying how effective improvisation can strengthen the effect of four specific knowledge transfer mechanisms – an experimental culture, minimal...

This book focuses on leadership character and how to develop it. The book begins by setting the context for leadership character in business and then focuses on each of 11 character dimensions, defining it, exploring its elements and identifying whether and how it can learned, developed, molded or changed and applied in a business setting. It concl...

This paper aims to answer the question: how do knowledge workers’ improvisation processes promote both knowledge transfer and protection in knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs)? A model is proposed identifying how effective improvisation can strengthen the effect of four specific knowledge transfer mechanisms – an experimental culture, minimal...

This chapter presents a conceptual framework that defines and integrates organizational learning (OL), knowledge management (KM), dynamic capabilities (DC), and absorptive capacity (AC) and establishes a theoretical link between these constructs and performance. The definition of these constructs are presented and their distinct roots are acknowled...

To ensure that the theory of leader character is developed through a performativity lens, we seek to bridge the theory - practice gap by asking: What are the essential elements of leader character in organizational contexts? In responding to this research question we make two core contributions. First, our research serves to bring leader character...

In this year’s conference we are invited to “think broadly and creatively about the ways in which organizations take action to address the most important management problems and opportunities of our time.” Our focus is on the potential that exists to enhance self-governance. While there are mechanisms and structures that may set the context for gov...

Strategic renewal is a unique type of change that holds the promise of restored strength, and vigor if decayed elements are replaced (Agarwal & Helfat, 2009). Gaps remain in our understanding about how and when strategic renewal occurs, pointing to a need for examining its micro-foundations. We aim to fill this gap by elevating the role of affect,...

Our research has sought to close the gap between theory and practice by engaging executives in discussions about leader character and examining what it means to apply virtues in practice at work. We describe a holistic framework of leader character derived from a research program seeking to close the theory/practice gap. We employ the case study of...

We introduce the concept of “individual action propensity” to examine the approach of individuals towards solving situations for which they lack knowledge and/or experience about what to do. We focus on a naturally contrasting pair of responses: “thinking before acting” or “acting before thinking,” and associate low action propensity with thinking...

This paper addresses the question of what makes knowledge transferable and inimitable at the same time. While previous research considered this issue a paradox, we argue that what makes knowledge simultaneously transferable or inimitable is not the level of knowledge tacitness or explicitness, but the ability of groups to internalize and perform th...

This paper explores the necessity of business leader integrity to the practice of business management and the conduct of business, and proposes a conceptualization of ethical integrity as “wholeness in character strengths”. We explore and propose four interrelated ways to look at ethical integrity: structural integrity, purposive integrity, context...

Our objective is to encourage and enable leadership character development in business education. Building on a model of character strengths and their link to virtues, values, and ethical decision making, we describe an approach to develop leadership character at the individual, group, and organizational levels. We contrast this approach to existing...

We present a comprehensive model that integrates virtues, values, character strengths and ethical decision making (EDM). We describe how a largely consequentialist ethical framework has dominated most EDM scholarship to date. We suggest that reintroducing a virtue ethical perspective to existing EDM theories can help to illustrate deficiencies in e...

This study examines the effect of dominant CEOs – defined as CEOs who are very powerful relative to other executives in their top management teams – on firm strategy and performance. Based on a sample of 51 publicly traded, single‐business firms from the US computer industry for the period 1997–2003, our results suggest that firms with dominant CEO...

Prior research suggests that firms create breakthrough innovations by using external knowledge, but it also underscores the difficulties firms face in acquiring and applying external knowledge. In this paper, we combine these insights to examine the conditions under which external knowledge usage will either enhance or erode firm performance. In pa...

Having received the “Decade Award” for the most cited AMR article from the past decade, we reflect on how our framework of organizational learning (OL) has been used in subsequent research and whether a theory of OL has emerged. Our citation review revealed that although some of the subsequent research has added to the original work, the challenge...

The resource-based view (RBV) has historically privileged the firm's internal resources and capabilities, often at the exclusion of its institutional context. In this paper, we introduce a culturally informed RBV that explains how cultural elements in the firm's institutional context shape the economic value associated with a firm's strategy. We po...

William (Bill) Aziz has an unusual approach to change management. Once, when facilitating the turnaround of a major freight company, he rode with a truck driver on an overnight run. At the end of the trip, he got out and went to the company cafeteria to get something to eat. Not recognizing the unfamiliar face, a driver came over and asked who Aziz...

This paper consolidates the state of academic research on "innovation". Based on a systematic review of literature published over the past 27 years, we synthesize various research perspectives into a comprehensive multi-dimensional framework of organizational innovation - linking leadership, innovation as a process, and innovation as an outcome. We...

This book presents a model of leadership based on competencies, character and commitment. The model was derived following interviews, individually and in group sessions, with more than 300 executives and entrepreneurs following the financial crisis in 2008.

This book describes the kind of leadership required for complex business organizations in which a cross enterprise perspective is required.

This study advances prior theoretical research by linking transformational and transactional behaviors of strategic leaders to two critical outputs of organizational learning: exploratory and exploitative innovation. Findings indicate that transformational leadership behaviors contribute significantly to adopting generative thinking and pursuing ex...

Adopting a cross-level mixed effect model, this paper proposes transcendent leadership as a framework for the key responsibilities of strategic leaders in today's dynamic contexts. A transcendent leader is a strategic leader who leads within and amongst the levels of self, others, and organization. Leadership of self includes the responsibility of...

Leadership theories abound, but few have provided a means to integrate the depth and breadth of the vast literature available. Building on the research of Crossan, Vera, and Nanjad (who propose Transcendent Leadership as an integrative framework), we describe the key leadership challenges of leading across the levels of self, others, organization,...

This paper develops a conceptual framework for the study of organization learning and applies it to learning in joint ventures (JVs). the framework presents a multilevel view of the phenomenon, suggesting that learning in organizations occurs at the individual, group and organization levels. the framework integrates behavioural and cognitive perspe...

Acquiring knowledge from external sources and using it in organizational operations is a source of competitive advantage. However, very little is known about specific strategies that help individuals and firms to acquire external knowledge and achieve performance benefits. More importantly, it is not known how the knowledge acquisition strategies u...

Management theory has paid scant attention to the nature and reconciliation of the tension between exploration and exploitation, in spite of its central importance to strategic renewal. This paper uses Hurst's (1995) ecocycle to frame the tension and employs complexity theory to examine how the tension manifests itself across levels and time. Impro...

The notion of an adaptable negotiator, who can respond to any situation he or she encounters, resonates with every negotiation expert. Unexpected things happen in negotiation, and negotiators must be able to adapt in fleet and effective ways. Dealing with the unexpected, responding “in the moment,” and adapting effectively to sudden changes — these...

Prior research suggests that the co-evolution of social capital and knowledge underpin a firm's competitive advantage. In this paper, we seek to explain a firm's absorptive capacity and disseminative capacity as the key mechanisms that drive the co-evolution of a firm's social capital and knowledge.

In this article, we drew upon insights from two rather disparate streams of literature—entrepreneurship and organizational learning—to develop an informed understanding of the phenomenon of entrepreneurial opportunities. We examined the nature of entrepreneurial opportunities from two contrasting views—Schumpeterian and Kirznerian—and delved into t...

textlessptextgreaterThis paper builds on the principles and insights from improvisational theater to unpack the nature of collective improvisation and to consider what it takes to do it well and to innovate. Furthermore, we discuss the role of training in enhancing the incidence and effectiveness of improvisation. We propose that two common misconc...

Prior reviews of organizational learning (OL) have noted an exponential growth in the literature through the 1990s and have expressed concerns about the lack of empirical research. In this paper, we review the literature published during the period 1990-2002 and take stock of the state of empirical research in OL. Based on the 123 articles reviewed...

Adopting the strategic leadership perspective, we develop a theoretical model of the impact of CEO and top manager leadership styles and practices on organizational learning. We take a fine-grained look at the processes and levels of organizational learning to describe how strategic leaders influence each element of the learning system. Researchers...

This paper attempts to fill an important gap in the integration of strategy and organizational learning through empirical research that examines the process of strategic renewal using a comprehensive framework of organizational learning. The 4I framework of organizational learning is used to examine the phenomenon of strategic renewal at Canada Pos...

Chris Argyris received his Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Cornell University in 1951 and served on the Yale University faculty for the next twenty years. He then became the James Bryant Conant Professor of Education and Organizational Behavior at Harvard University and held joint appointments over time at the Business, Law, and Kennedy Schoo...

This paper considers the relationship between the stocks and flows of learning across levels in an overall organizational learning system. A survey instrument based on the Strategic Learning Assessment Map (SLAM) was administered to 15 individuals representing senior-, middle- and non-management levels from each of 32 organizations, resulting in a...

In this paper we attempt to map the development of organizational learning as a field of academic study by examining the rise and fall of specific debates. This does not pretend to be a comprehensive review of the field since there is now far too much material available to allow full coverage in any single publication. Rather, we have identified so...

Research and development at the nanoscale requires a large degree of integration, from convergence of research disciplines in new fields of enquiry to new linkages between start-ups, regional actors and research facilities. Based on the analysis of two clusters in nanotechnologies (MESA+ (Twente) and other centres in The Netherlands and Minatec in...

The literature and the practice about knowledge in organizations is characterized by the use of very diverse terminology, where concepts such as organizational learning (OL), knowledge management (KM), and intellectual capital (IC) are often employed but rarely discussed together. Recognizing that no single overarching framework has been proposed t...

Although interest in organizational learning has grown dramatically in recent years, a general theory of organizational learning has remained elusive. We identify re- newal of the overall enterprise as the underlying phenomenon of interest and organ- izational learning as a principal means to this end. With this perspective we develop a framework f...

It has often been proposed, or assumed, that improvisation is a useful metaphor to provide insight into managing a nd organizing. However, improvisation is more than a metaphor. It is an orientation and a technique to enhance the strategic renewal of an organization. The bridge between theory and practice is made through exercises used to develop t...

The best companies show superior ability to adapt to and capitalize on a rapidly changing and often unpredictable environment. Conversely, many large companies have fallen on hard times because they have been unable to innovate and renew themselves, a failure not related to a lack of planning but related to a false assumption that the business envi...

No abstract available.

Presents the results of a keyword search of the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), ABI Inform and PyschLit databases using the terms “organizational learning” and “learning organization” to uncover patterns relating to: the amount of publishing activity by year; influential authors; journals publishing organizational learning research; and type...

Organizational learning (OL) is receiving increasing attention from researchers and practitioners alike. In fact, some have suggested that the only sustainable competitive advantage is a firm's ability to learn faster than its competitors. In spite of OL's promise, the field has been slow to evolve. The primary impediments to the development of OL...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Western Ontario, 1991. Includes bibliographical references (p. 329-346).

Denne bog er skrevet som operationel guide til strategianalyse og strategiaendringer. Den skal benyttes af laesere som arbejder med strategiske problemer, som studerende eller på jobbet. Bogen giver en raekke koncepter, som hjaelper laeseren med at identificerer strategiske problemer, traeffe valg og implementere beslutninger. Bogen er opbygning ef...

This paper raises the importance of the relationship between identity and organizational learning in the context of conflict. Building on prior research and using illustrative data from a longitudinal case study of the BC salmon farming industry, this study suggests that certain conditions may allow organizations to behave differently around a conf...

A firm's ability to innovate has been identified as a critical source of competitive advantage in today's dynamic environments. However, despite the growing amount of research on innovation, a single, cogent understanding of the impact of strategic leadership on innovation processes and outcomes remains elusive. To address this issue, we have engag...