TY - CHAP

T1 - The digital disruption of strategic paths

T2 - 37th International Conference on Information Systems - ICIS 2016

AU - Rauch, Madeleine

AU - Wenzel, Matthias

AU - Wagner, Heinz Theo

N1 - Conference code: 37th

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - In this paper, we draw on the literatures on path dependence and disruptive innovation to examine in an experimental setting how path-dependent firms respond to digital disruption. As our results indicate, in the face of digital disruption, path-dependent firms tend to renovate the technological foundation on which their strategic path is based if they have the opportunity to reproduce their established strategic path. Our findings also suggest that path-dependent firms equally tend to renovate their technological foundation or the targeted market segment in the face of digital disruption if they are unable to reproduce their established strategic path. Our findings provide insights into the challenges that digitization imposes on established firms, complement the literature on path dependence with insights into path disruption, contribute an integrated view to the literature on disruptive innovation, and offer some guidance to practitioners.

AB - In this paper, we draw on the literatures on path dependence and disruptive innovation to examine in an experimental setting how path-dependent firms respond to digital disruption. As our results indicate, in the face of digital disruption, path-dependent firms tend to renovate the technological foundation on which their strategic path is based if they have the opportunity to reproduce their established strategic path. Our findings also suggest that path-dependent firms equally tend to renovate their technological foundation or the targeted market segment in the face of digital disruption if they are unable to reproduce their established strategic path. Our findings provide insights into the challenges that digitization imposes on established firms, complement the literature on path dependence with insights into path disruption, contribute an integrated view to the literature on disruptive innovation, and offer some guidance to practitioners.

KW - Management studies

KW - Digital disruption

KW - Digitization

KW - Disruptive innovation

KW - Experiment

KW - Path dependence

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019438913&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article in conference proceedings

AN - SCOPUS:85019438913

BT - Proceedings of the 37th International Conference on Information Systems

PB - Association for Information Systems

Y2 - 11 December 2016 through 14 December 2016

ER -