Asymmetric Association of Resources: Conditions under Which the Separation and Integration of Idea Generation and Implementation Support Product Innovation

This paper examines an alternative view of the use of resources in R&D teams and proposes a way to resolve the dispute between integration versus separation of idea generation and idea implementation concerning the achievement of high levels of product innovation. Contrary to the symmetric approach espoused by earlier studies, the hypotheses here are grounded in the notion that resources have an asymmetric association with idea generation and idea implementation. By asymmetric association we mean that resources have more impact on idea generation than on idea implementation. This paper considers the interactional relationship of two types of resources, time and financial budget, on idea generation and idea implementation. It is based on responses from 214 team members that belong to 40 R&D teams. The results support the existence of an asymmetric mechanism of association between resources and the idea generation and idea implementation climates. Furthermore, they demonstrate that the integration of idea generation and idea implementation is associated with high levels of product innovation when resources are available, while the separation of the two is associated with high levels of product innovation when resources are scarce.