Effects of an Information Sharing System on Employee Creativity, Engagement, and Performance
Journal of Accounting Research, Forthcoming
Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 17-094
49 Pages Posted: 7 Jun 2017 Last revised: 20 Jan 2018
There are 3 versions of this paper
Effects of an Information Sharing System on Employee Creativity, Engagement, and Performance
Effects of an Information Sharing System on Employee Creativity, Engagement, and Performance
Effects of an Information Sharing System on Employee Creativity, Engagement, and Performance
Date Written: December 31, 2017
Abstract
Many service organizations rely on information sharing systems to boost employee creativity to meet customer needs. We conducted a field experiment in a retail chain, based on a registered report accepted by JAR, to test whether an information sharing system recording employees’ creative work affected the quality of creative work, job engagement, and financial performance. We found that, on average, this system did not have a significant effect on any outcomes. However, it significantly improved the quality of creative work in stores that had accessed the system more frequently and in stores with fewer same-company nearby stores. It also improved creative work and job engagement in stores in divergent markets, where customers needed more customization. We found weak evidence of better financial results where salespeople had lower creative talent before the system was introduced. Our findings shed light on those conditions in which information sharing systems affect employees’ creative work.
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