Whose Time Is It? Understanding Clock-time Pacing and Event-time Pacing in Complex Innovations

Time pacing, which refers to the regulation of intensity and direction of people's attention and effort, is central to innovation management. However, in a study of complex product innovation in pharmaceuticals, we find that time pacing is a major source of conflict between managers and scientists over innovation management. Our analysis of this tension reveals that two very different forms of time pacing operate in this complex innovation. Clock‐time pacing, which gauges progress by the predictable passage of clock time, is used by strategic managers to reduce unnecessary exploration, focus on necessary questions, and speed up the execution of steps. Event‐time pacing, which gauges progress by the unpredictable achievement of learning events, is used by the scientists to develop a deep understanding of how a drug might behave in the body against a disease, to focus on learning by asking many questions, and to integrate emergent results into plausible patterns. We identify four dimensions that differentiate clock‐time pacing from event‐time pacing, which drive the tension between the two. We summarize negative effects that this tension can have on innovation if left unaddressed, and then suggest ways to integrate clock‐time pacing with event‐time pacing. We also discuss implications for Chinese management. 摘要. 时间节奏，即组织对其成员应在何方向、多大程度付出精力的规范，对于创新管理至关重要。然而，在本文对制药业的复杂产品创新研究中，我们发现时间节奏是管理者和科学家在创新管理中的一个主要冲突来源。对这种冲突的分析揭示出，在复杂创新中存在两种形式截然不同的时间节奏。钟表时间节奏以可预测的客观钟表时间来衡量事件进程，战略管理者采用此种时间节奏来减少不必要的探索，将注意力集中在必要的问题上，并加速执行进程。事件时间节奏以不可预测的学习成果来衡量事件进程，科学家采用此种时间节奏来建立对于药物作用循序渐进的深刻理解，通过提出问题将注意力集中在学习过程，并将意外结果整合进可能合理的假设模式中。我们定义了四个区分钟表时间节奏和事件时间节奏的维度，也正是这四个维度造成了两种节奏的冲突。最后，本文总结了忽视这种冲突对于创新所可能产生的负面影响，并对如何协调融合钟表时间节奏和事件时间节奏给出了建议。同时，我们讨论了课题对于中国管理的意义。