Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/23939 
Year of Publication: 
2005
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper No. 2005,002E
Publisher: 
Universität Erfurt, Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Erfurt
Abstract: 
Our paper analyzes the interplay of organizational demography with the propensity to adopt an innovative practice. In particular, we examine how the demographical composition of professional German football teams influenced the adoption of the chain-defense-system (?Viererkette?) as well as the success of implementing this system. In doing so we strongly believe that the underlying relationship between organizational demography and the innovation diffusion process is not only relevant for football teams: Other smaller organizations or profit centers whose team structures seem comparable to those of football teams might be subject to similar processes. We hypothesize that a high level of team heterogeneity leads to a greater propensity to change. We also hypothesize that homogeneous teams are more successful in executing a new practice once they have overcome their skepticism. Our results support the hypotheses on change, but do not provide final support for our hypothesis on performance.
Subjects: 
Organizational Behavior
Economics of Sports
Innovation and Invention
Diffusion Process
Duration Analysis
Performance Analysis
JEL: 
L83
C41
O33
C25
O31
D23
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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