Seminar- Supplementary and Complementary Congruence at the Apex of the Organisation: Top Management Teams and Boards as Strategic-Oriented Multiteam Systems

You are cordially invited to attend a research seminar by Peder Greve, Associate Professor, HBS. Please join us in Room 108 Henley Business School or follow the link in your calendar email invitations (Join Microsoft Teams Meeting) to join the seminar on Wednesday, 17th November at 12.30pm.

Please note: lunch and refreshments will be provided. It is important that you confirm if you are attending in-person to assure enough catering is supplied on the day. If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know as soon as possible.

Abstract

Our knowledge of top management team (TMT) and board collaboration on matters of strategic importance remains limited. Drawing upon the strategic leadership system perspective and the interface approach, we argue that the two groups constitute a strategic-oriented multiteam system and consider how supplementary and complementary congruence of international and functional backgrounds between the two groups influence the pursuit of major strategic projects. Looking at the high-commitment internationalization decisions of the largest public firms in the U.K., we find that—depending on the type of interface—either supplementary or complementary congruence of knowledge and experiences between the TMT and board promote the pursuit of key expansion projects. We extend the strategic leadership system perspective by showing how effective TMT-board collaboration is dependent on the right type of interaction congruence between the two groups. Further, we find a boundary condition to the interface approach within upper echelons research by identifying the underlying mechanisms that activate some TMT-board interfaces and not others.