Technological opportunities and their rejection: A process perspective on organizational lock-in

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

Authors

In this chapter, we add to the contemporary debate on path dependence in the management literature by examining how the scope of action evolves in lock-ins. For this purpose, we draw on qualitative data of the German newspaper industry from 1995 to date. Our study indicates that the scope of action in lock-ins continuously changes as new technological opportunities emerge and disappear. Our results also suggest that path-dependent firms have windows of opportunity available that remain unexploited due to cognitive and normative barriers. Furthermore, our empirical evidence indicates that although windows of opportunity may temporarily close, the scope of action reopens when further technological opportunities emerge. Our study contributes to a better understanding of lock-ins as an underresearched phase of path dependence, provides a more comprehensive process understanding for the inability of path-dependent firms to exploit technological opportunities, and offers practical implications on how path-dependent firms may leave their path.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTechnological Innovation Networks : Collaboration and Partnership
EditorsRing Ran, Penn State Harrisburg
Number of pages23
PublisherInformation Age Publishing
Publication date2017
Pages75-97
ISBN (print)9781681238586, 9781681238593
ISBN (electronic)9781681238609
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes