From Hadida Heide and Bell 2019 Temporary Marketing

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) Temporary Marketing Organizations (TMOs) n n TMOs don’t have a shared future or a shared past, making it “the organizational equivalent of a one-night stand” (Meyerson et al. 1996). Examples: q q q The stand-alone product development organization created to build the True Story card game and mobile app The hybrid constellation of firms and independent contractors involved with Boeing’s development of the 737 airplane The embedded R&D facility ‘Google x’ dedicated since 2010 to developing “moonshot” new products with no direct link to Google’s internet search business

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) Nature of TMOs n n They are initiated by the commitment to a certain task and terminated by its completion—or by reaching a predetermined time-line. They consist of a team of individual agents assembled and managed by a principal (project manager or top executive), and who collectively possess the skills and resources required to carry out the focal task.

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) How TMOs are different n n n Can’t use the same incentives to induce contributors’ effort (e. g. , member socialization, long -term rewards) as permanent organizations. Have the potential to deliver innovative solutions while containing costs. They have a mixed track record: q q Uneven performance: e. g. , movies can be blockbusters or massive flops Frequent evidence of significant cost overruns: e. g. , Sydney Opera House

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) Why is the absence of a past and future problematic? n Without a common past, shared norms fail to develop, making team selection more challenging. q n The problem lies with the ‘motley crew’ of individual members (Caves 2000) Without a planned future, built-in enforcement mechanisms are absent (no traditional incentives for good performance). q In essence, a TMO lacks inherent mechanisms for promoting team members’ cooperation

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) Example: Feature film production n Selecting & assembling a movie cast: q q n Problem: How do you identify a good candidate for playing the autistic lead character in ‘Rain Man’? Solution: Create opportunities for self-selection; e. g. , require candidates to read books on neurobiology, analyse case studies, spend time with autistic individuals Enforcing good behavior & performance on set: q Marlon Brando’s ‘shirking test’: Brando used to test directors by delivering both a superficial and a profound performance on two takes on day one. Should the director choose the superficial take, Brando would shirk during the rest of the production process

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) Forms of TMOs ■ Stand-alone: significant selection issues ▫ Managers need to identify skills and knowledge bases for the particular task, often starting from scratch. Enforcement mechanisms are also needed to ensure that members, who have weak incentives for cooperation, use their skills to the fullest. ▫ e. g. , radical innovation, one-off product launch ■ Hybrid: parties interacted on prior tasks ▫ Need for limited enforcement mechanisms to drive results ▫ e. g. , film production ■ Fully embedded: sits within a permanent organization ▫ High probability of continuing association, centralised promotions and disciplinary measures limit the need for distinct enforcement procedures ▫ e. g. , internal consulting units, new product development

From: Hadida, Heide, and Bell (2019) Key insights on TMOs ■ It is best to identify matches between tasks and potential members before starting. Examples: ▫ The more novel the task, the more likely a stand-alone temporary org will be created. ▫ The more time-limited the task, the more likely a hybrid temporary org will be formed. ■ Use these insights as a ‘playbook’ by using TMOs drivers (task novelty, time duration, team heterogeneity), and forms (stand alone, hybrid, fully embedded) as inputs to assist managers in: ▫ Using temporary orgs to best effect in a marketing context; and ▫ Deploying the most appropriate selection and enforcement mechanisms depending on the form of temporary org