Two sides of the same coin: the dual effect of star inventors on team innovation

TL;DR

Star inventors boost team innovation's impact but reduce its novelty, with effects influenced by external and internal factors.

Contribution

This study identifies the dual effects of star inventors on innovation and how contextual factors moderate these effects.

Findings

Star inventors enhance the technological impact of team innovation.

Star inventors hinder the novelty of team innovation.

Internal network cohesion mitigates the negative effect of star inventors on novelty.

Abstract

The scarce yet exceptionally productive star inventors are the pivotal human capital of enterprises. Managers emphasize team-level contributions of star inventors over their individual excellence. However, the impact of star inventors on team innovation remains contested with empirical evidence reporting both positive and negative effects. By theoretically analyzing the advantages and limitations of star inventors at different innovation phases, this study endeavors to reconcile the ongoing debate by investigating the dual effects of star inventors on the novelty and impact of team innovation output. Furthermore, by incorporating technological turbulence and internal network cohesion as moderators, this research demonstrates how external and internal contextual factors shape star inventors’ influence. The findings reveal that star inventors enhance the technological impact of team innovation but hinder its novelty. Technological turbulence weakens their positive effect on impact while exacerbating their negative effect on novelty. Conversely, internal network cohesion amplifies their beneficial influence on impact and mitigates their adverse effect on novelty. By integrating psychological, knowledge management, and social network theories, this study advances the understanding of star inventors’ dual effects and their boundary conditions.

Figures