Top Management Attention to Innovation : The Role of Search Selection and Intensity in New Product Introductions

We develop and test an attention-based theory of search by top management teams and the influence on firm innovativeness. Using an in-depth field study of 61 publicly-traded high-technology firms and their top executives, we find that the location selection and intensity of the search independently and jointly influence new product introductions. We have three important findings. First, in contrast to the portrait of local managerial search, we find teams that select locations that contain novel, vivid, and salient information introduce more new products. Next, rather than satisfice, a persistent search intensity also increases new product introductions. Finally, the level of search intensity must fit the selected location f search to maximize new product introductions