Big causes and small events: QWERTY and the mechanization of office work

Reinstaller, Andreas; Hölzl, Werner

doi:10.1093/icc/dtp030

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Murmann and Frenken, 2006) can lead companies to choose technologies similar to their initial choice. Some technologies can become critically interrelated to organizational processes to the extent that costs of changing processes prohibit removing or modify the technologies (Reinstaller & Holzl, 2009;Vanloqueren & Baret, 2009). Firms often continue to use a certain technology because the sunk-costs for the technology prevent any short-term change and because capabilities to utilize the technology have grown over time (Heffernan, 2003;Lamberg and Tikkanen, 2006)).…”

Section: Path Dependencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reinstaller & Holzl, 2009). Our study contributes to the literature by examining a novel dimension of path dependency: the degree of centralization in the organization.…”

Section: Interactions Across Path Dependencies Of Power Relations Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the creation of technological paths involves the creation of self-reinforcing mechanisms in the domain of technological choices (Sydow et al, 2009;Reinstaller & Holzl, 2009), the creation of technopolitical paths represented intertwined formation of a coherent path for both power relations and technology investments. Our findings suggest that the act of technological path creation can be simultaneously a "Machiavellian" act of political path creation -by stepping on a technological path towards centrally coordinated IT architecture, retail groups also ensured the creation of a path towards a certain power configuration.…”

Section: Path-breaking Change and Path Creationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While initial work on path-dependence tended to ignore power and politics, the research on path creation (Garud, Kumaraswamy, & Karnoe, 2010) has highlighted the importance of social and political dynamics in the emergence of technological changes (Gruber, 2010;Vanloqueren & Baret, 2009) as well as technological change as a catalyst of social and political change in fields and organizations (McGuire, Fai, & Ozaki, 2010;Reinstaller & Holzl, 2009). Powerful organizational actors may use their influence in decision-making to direct technological changes to serve their own interests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Path Dependence of Power Relations, Path-Breaking Change and Technological Adaptation

Valorinta

Schildt

Lamberg

2011

Industry and Innovation

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We study path-dependence of technological systems and power relations inside companies. While existing literature suggests power relations and technology to be path-dependent and influenced by each other, interactions across these evolutionary processes remain poorly understood. We studied the history of four retail firms over forty years, applying event structure analysis to explicate key dynamics. Companies exhibited two episodes of converging path dependency, where power relations further increased technological inertia. In each case, power initially concentrated outside the central headquarters. Path-breaking change led all firms to centralize power and implement networked IT systems supporting central control. We discuss the ability of converging technological and organizational path dependencies to create competitive disadvantage. Widely available technological advances create advantage even when competitors have similar existing systems, when power structures are strongly path-dependent, impeding technological change. Thus, company owners ought to create path-breaking disruptions in power relations when technological adoption provides value.

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Section: Path Dependencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reinstaller & Holzl, 2009). Our study contributes to the literature by examining a novel dimension of path dependency: the degree of centralization in the organization.…”

Section: Interactions Across Path Dependencies Of Power Relations Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Path-breaking Change and Path Creationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Path Dependence of Power Relations, Path-Breaking Change and Technological Adaptation

Valorinta

Schildt

Lamberg

2011

Industry and Innovation

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show abstract

“…While contributing to conceptual clarity, this strategy of demarcation has decreased the concept's empirical applicability, and is thus at odds with its widespread use in describing processes (e.g. Manning and Sydow, 2011;Thrane et al, 2010;Reinstaller and Hölzl, 2009). Our aim in this article is to allow for both tight definitions and wide use by integrating the concept into wider research on organizational and industrial evolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%