Elite Values Versus Organizational Structure in Predicting Innovation

Jerald Hage and Robert Dewar This paper compares the predictive power of the concept of elite values with leader values, member values, and the three structural variables of complexity, centralization, and formalization. Elite values proved to be slightly better predictors than either leader values or complexity. When elite values and complexity were combined, there was a considerable increase in the amount of variance explained indicating that these variables are independent. Three contrasting definitions of the elite were considered but one proved a better predictor than the other two.