Assessing organizational innovativeness – evidence from corporate narratives. (5th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ackermann, Malte Stefan; Stephan, Michael; Penrose, John M.
• Is Part Of: Corporate communications. Volume 20:Number 4(2015)
• Page Start: 399
• Page End: 414
• Publication Date: 2015-10-05
• Subjects: Innovation -- Communication -- Intangible assets -- Multinationals -- Annual reports; Corporations -- Public relations -- Periodicals; Communication in organizations -- Periodicals; 658.45
• DOI: 10.1108/CCIJ-04-2014-0026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1356-3289

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to quantify the communication of organizational innovativeness (OI) on a large scale; and to examine the relationship of communicating OI and the corresponding investments in research and development (R & D) of multinational corporations (MNCs). Design/methodology/approach: – In total, 3, 043 annual reports from 326 MNCs are examined utilizing quantitative content analysis, which focusses on fixed selected terminologies, in the years 1998-2008. Findings: – Scholars assume that the capacity for OI is becoming the single most important task in organizational survival. Even though in the sample the investments in R & D are not increasing, even slightly declining, the communication of OI is increasing. Using mixed-effects regression analysis, the findings indicate that the corporations that are investing in R & D are also communicating these efforts correspondingly. Practical implications: – This is the first study that measures the communication of OI using quantitative content analysis. Originality/value: – The results indicate that not only do the communication efforts of an organization's OI have a perceived increasing importance. They also suggest that OI itself has become more important for organizations from a strategic point of view.