Persistently learning: How small-world network imprints affect subsequent firm learning

Sullivan, Bilian Ni; Tang, Yi; Marquis, Christopher

doi:10.1177/1476127014543772

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 102 publications

(176 reference statements)

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“…For example, Majumdar (2004) examined how the industrial epoch in which firms are founded shapes their subsequent growth trajectory by influencing their norms of behavior and incentives. Scholars in this tradition have also examined networks as a source of imprinting (Milanov & Fernhaber, 2009;Milanov & Shepherd, 2013;Sullivan, Tang, & Marquis, 2014). The third approach employs more contextually grounded investigations of when and how the environment imparts certain characteristics upon other entities (Dieleman, 2010;Van Driel & Dolfsma, 2009).…”

Section: Imprintingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“What’s Past Is Prologue”

Şimşek¹,

Fox²,

Heavey

2014

Journal of Management

194

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Organizational researchers have long used imprinting as a theoretical lens for a historically embedded understanding of diverse, significant phenomena for explanatory, evaluative, and managerial purposes. The intuitive appeal of imprinting has facilitated its widespread diffusion throughout numerous disciplines and research fields, but the growing fragmentation of associated theory and evidence has blurred our understanding of the nature, sources, and mechanisms of imprinting as well as the context in which imprinting shapes the behavior and outcomes of distinct entities. To address these issues, we begin by developing a framework for generalizing theoretical constructs, statements, and relationships across levels of analysis, contexts, and disciplinary boundaries. Using the core themes of this framework, we next provide a systematic review of 119 imprinting studies allowing for more definitive statements about what we know, do not know, and should know about imprinting. Finally, by building on the review, together with the proposed framework, we chart a focused course for future inquiry and applications for organizational research on imprinting.

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Section: Imprintingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“What’s Past Is Prologue”

Şimşek¹,

Fox²,

Heavey

2014

Journal of Management

194

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…More recently, however, a series of imprinting studies indicate that managers can prioritize imprints (e.g., Erçek & Günçavdı, ; Sullivan, Tang, & Marquis, ) or modify them to serve new purposes (e.g., Ferriani, Garnsey, & Lorenzoni, ; Kriauciunas & Kale, ; Marquis & Huang, ), offering “a moderate view that organizations are both inertial and adaptive” (Bamford, Dean, & McDougall, , p. 261). By reporting cases where managers matter with respect to managing imprints, these studies offer a promising departure from the view that imprinting is an “ecological force devoid of agency” (Marquis & Tilcsik, , p. 222).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing history: How New Zealand's Gallagher Group used rhetorical narratives to reprioritize and modify imprinted strategic guideposts

Sinha

Jaskiewicz

Gibb

et al. 2019

Strategic Management Journal

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Research Summary Imprinting theory predicts that organizations are imprinted with multiple intersecting imprints that persist. Evidence suggests, however, that imprints are sometimes reprioritized or modified, implying that they can be strategically managed. We draw upon rhetorical history research and an in‐depth historical case study of New Zealand's Gallagher Group to describe how one firm managed its imprints. Our inductive theorizing links historically imprinted strategic guideposts to decision‐making via two rearranging processes—that is, prioritizing and suspending—wherein managers use narratives to rearrange guideposts' influence and two scope modifying processes—that is, constraining and expanding—wherein managers change where guideposts apply. As a first explanation of how imprints are managed, these processes add nuance to existing theory and open new research avenues regarding additional processes and boundary conditions. Managerial Summary Imprints are elements of culture, strategy, structure, or decision‐making that emerge when the firm is founded or during times of turmoil. Imprints resist change and make organizational adaptation difficult. This study explains one way that managers manipulate imprinted decision‐making rules so that organizations can adapt. Using an in‐depth historical case study of New Zealand's Gallagher Group from 1938 to 2015, we follow four imprinted decision‐making rules that we call strategic guideposts and show how managers rhetorically revised these rules to adapt organizational decision‐making to changing environments. Managers prioritized some decision‐making rules while deemphasizing others or they changed their claims about the kinds of decisions where a decision‐rule applied. Knowing these rhetorical processes can help managers leverage their organization's history to facilitate necessary organizational change.

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“…It means that VC firms will not only care about their self-interests but will also focus on "friendship", will build long-term cooperation, and will form guanxi circles [59]. The small-world nature of the network also means that there are many shortcuts between clusters, which increases "information reachability" [60,61]. This is attractive to existing and prospective partners due to the fast information transitivity and resource sharing.…”

Section: Social Capital Benefits Of Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does Network Structure Impact Follow-On Financing through Syndication? Evidence from the Renewable Energy Industry

et al. 2021

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Venture capital (VC) is a critical source of finance for renewable energy ventures. Importantly, VC investments are made in rounds. In higher rounds: (1) the availability of capital drops—we find that less than 50% of renewable energy ventures receive “follow-on” financing—and (2) the rate at which VC firms co-invest increases—we find that 75% of “follow-on” investments are “syndicated”, co-investments. We argue that the way in which VC firms co-invest—in terms of how and to whom they are connected—is critical to understanding which projects are financed. Using data on 760 firm-deal observations, we examine how the VC firm’s direct ties (ego network) create trust (which we measure using the clustering coefficient) and improve access (structural holes) to important investment information. We consider too how the “small-world” nature of the global VC industry network (small-world quotient) improves “information reachability”. Finally, we consider the way in which these features interact with each other—specifically, when they can be substitutes and when they are complements—in explaining which projects do and do not receive follow-on financing through syndication. We conclude by reflecting on the implications of our findings for VC syndication and sustainable entrepreneurship in the renewable energy industry.

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Persistently learning: How small-world network imprints affect subsequent firm learning

Cited by 18 publications

References 102 publications

“What’s Past Is Prologue”

“What’s Past Is Prologue”

Managing history: How New Zealand's Gallagher Group used rhetorical narratives to reprioritize and modify imprinted strategic guideposts

How Does Network Structure Impact Follow-On Financing through Syndication? Evidence from the Renewable Energy Industry

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