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Journal of Accounting Research Vol. 56 No. 2 2018

Effects of an Information Sharing System on Employee Creativity, Engagement, and Performance

Shelley Xin Li1; Tatiana Sandino2

1 Leventhal School of Accounting University of Southern California · 2 Harvard Business School, Harvard University

Abstract

Many service organizations rely on information sharing systems to boost employee creativity to meet customer needs. We conducted a field experiment in a retail chain, based on a registered report accepted by JAR, to test whether an information sharing system recording employees’ creative work affected the quality of creative work, job engagement, and financial performance. We found that, on average, this system did not have a significant effect on any of these outcomes. However, it significantly improved the quality of creative work in stores that had accessed the system more frequently and in stores with fewer same‐company nearby stores. It also improved creative work and job engagement in stores in divergent markets, where customers needed more customization. We found weak evidence of better financial results where salespeople had lower creative talent before the system was introduced. Our findings shed light on those conditions in which information sharing systems affect employees’ creative work.

DOI
10.1111/1475-679x.12202
Volume
56
Issue
2
Pages
713-747
Language
en
Sources
openalex bibtex:phds-export.bib crossref

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