TY - CHAP
T1 - Addressing path dependency in the capabilities approach
T2 - historicism and foresight meet on the road less travelled
AU - Masrani, Swapnesh K.
AU - McKiernan, Peter
N1 - This is a draft chapter. The final version is available in the Handbook of Research on Strategy and Foresight edited by L.A. Constanzo and R.B. MacKay, published in 2009, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. The material cannot be used for any other purpose without further permission of the publisher, and is for private use only.
PY - 2009/3/31
Y1 - 2009/3/31
N2 - The chapter challenges the commonly held notion in the capabilities approach, arising out of over emphasis on path dependency, that capability development follows a single path dependent route, which is determined positively by interrelatedness among existing technologies. It queries the fascination especially within the empirical literature with examining a single, successful choice. The chapter argues, like Penrose (1959) and Hamel and Prahalad (1994), that a firm seldom considers only one strategic capability development route. Often, a route is chosen from a bounded option set, anchored by the ‘do- nothing’ default. This is supported by empirical case evidence, which also suggests that, in some instances, technological interrelatedness is not a major factor influencing the development of capabilities from the available options.
AB - The chapter challenges the commonly held notion in the capabilities approach, arising out of over emphasis on path dependency, that capability development follows a single path dependent route, which is determined positively by interrelatedness among existing technologies. It queries the fascination especially within the empirical literature with examining a single, successful choice. The chapter argues, like Penrose (1959) and Hamel and Prahalad (1994), that a firm seldom considers only one strategic capability development route. Often, a route is chosen from a bounded option set, anchored by the ‘do- nothing’ default. This is supported by empirical case evidence, which also suggests that, in some instances, technological interrelatedness is not a major factor influencing the development of capabilities from the available options.
KW - path dependency
KW - Dundee jute industry
KW - organisational foresight
UR - https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-on-strategy-and-foresight
M3 - Chapter
SN - 978-1-84542-963-8
SP - 485
EP - 505
BT - Handbook of Research on Strategy and Foresight
A2 - Constanzo, Laura Anna
A2 - Mackay, Robert Bradley
CY - Cheltenham, UK
ER -