Abstract This paper addresses calls for understanding of the contextual conditions under which Quality Management (QM) may be effective in supporting radical and incremental innovation in a technologically dynamic sector. Particularly, formal and informal control mechanisms can play a role in such a knowledge intensive sector, where the degree of formalisation may be a constraint to explorative behaviours. This study focuses on the moderating role of support for creativity and formalisation of the innovation process as two types of control mechanisms entailing different levels of formalisation. The sample consists of 111 organisations from the information technology service sector featuring technological dynamism. The results evidence that QM is associated with incremental innovation capability, but not with radical innovation. A positive moderating role of formalisation of the innovation process was found in incremental innovation. The results indicate that these two types of innovation require different kinds of resources and enabling actions, which advises the adoption of a contingent perspective when analysing the QM–innovation link in future research. The existence and use of specified procedures are not a drawback in the innovation process within a firm. Thus, organisations should be aware that the effectiveness of QM to increase incremental innovation capability is likely to be enhanced by a formalisation of the innovation process. In contrast, for breakthrough innovation, QM was not evidenced to be a successful mechanism. The findings suggest that support for creativity is the mechanism that managers can best use to promote radical innovation.

中文翻译：

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质量管理背景下增量和激进的产品创新能力：探索控制机制的调节作用

摘要 本文提出了了解环境条件的呼声，在这些条件下，质量管理 (QM) 可以有效地支持技术动态部门中的激进和渐进式创新。特别是，正式和非正式的控制机制可以在这样一个知识密集型部门发挥作用，其中正式化的程度可能会限制探索行为。本研究侧重于支持创造力和创新过程形式化的调节作用，这两种控制机制需要不同程度的形式化。样本包括111家信息技术服务行业具有科技活力的组织。结果表明，质量管理与渐进式创新能力相关，但与激进创新无关。在渐进式创新中发现了创新过程正规化的积极调节作用。结果表明，这两种类型的创新需要不同类型的资源和支持行动，这建议在未来研究中分析 QM 与创新的联系时采用偶然的观点。特定程序的存在和使用并不是公司创新过程中的缺陷。因此，组织应该意识到 QM 提高渐进式创新能力的有效性可能会通过创新过程的正规化而得到增强。相比之下，对于突破性创新，质量管理并没有被证明是一种成功的机制。研究结果表明，对创造力的支持是管理者可以最好地用来促进激进创新的机制。