Breaking through boundaries for organizational innovation: new managerial roles and practices in e-commerce firms

The information age presents complex opportunities and challenges for organizations, leading to the emergence of new managerial roles and practices. This research examined the influence of management diversity and creativity on the assessment of opportunities for e-commerce organizations, and on innovative internal and external managerial relationships and practices. Results from a sample of 120 CEOs of e-commerce firms revealed that opportunity assessment mediates the interactive effects of managerial diversity and creativity, influencing the adoption of innovative practices that focus on employee relationships, external networks, and new products and services. This research is one of the first empirical studies of managerial behavior in Internet organizations, and a suggested research agenda for this area of inquiry is presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.