Relationship between top management team internal social capital and strategic decision-making speed: The intermediary role of behavioral integration

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between top management team (TMT) internal social capital and strategic decision-making speed, and further explore role of TMT behavioral integration in their relationship. It reveals how TMT internal social capital impacts strategic decision-making speed.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of the social capital theory and upper echelons theory, at first, a model about TMT internal social capital and strategic decision-making speed is proposed by exploratory case study. Then, the data obtained via questionnaire from 67 TMTs by software SPSS 19.0 and AMOS 17.0 are analyzed, and the theoretical hypotheses as mentioned above are verified.

Findings

The empirical study found that different dimensions of TMT internal social capital have significant positive impact on TMT behavioral integrity; TMT behavioral integrity has significant positive impact on strategic decision-making speed; and TMT behavioral integrity as an intermediary variable played a brokering role in the relationship between TMT internal social capital and strategic decision-making speed.

Originality/value

The study enriches the empirical test on the relationship between TMT internal social capital and decision speed, thereby helping the authors further understand how to improve the speed of strategic decision making in TMT.

Citation

Gu, J., Xie, F. and Wang, X. (2016), "Relationship between top management team internal social capital and strategic decision-making speed: The intermediary role of behavioral integration", Kybernetes, Vol. 45 No. 10, pp. 1617-1636. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-07-2015-0188