Configurations of capacity for change in entrepreneurial threshold firms: imprinting and strategic choice perspectives

Judge, Willam; Hu, Helen; Talaulicar, Till; Witt, Michael; Zattoni, Alessandro; Lopez-Iturriaga, Felix; Chen, Jean; Shukla, Dhirendra; Quttainah, Majdi; Adegbite, Emmanuel; Rivas, Jose; Kibler, Bruce

Abstract

Imprinting theory suggests that founding conditions are 'stamped' on organizations, and these imprinted routines often resist change. In contrast, strategic choice theory suggests that the firm can overcome organizational inertia and deliberately choose its future. Both theories offer dramatically different explanations behind an organization's capacity for change. IPO firms provide a unique context for exploring how imprinting forces interact with strategic choice factors to address organizational capacity for change as a firm moves from private to public firm status. Juxtaposing imprinting and strategic choice perspectives, we employ fuzzy set to examine the multi-level determinants of organizational capacity for change. Our cross-national data reveals three effective configurations of organizational capacity for change within IPOs, and two ineffective configurations. Our results suggest that the antecedents of organizational capacity for change in entrepreneurial threshold firms are nonlinear, interdependent, and equifinal.

Citation

Judge, W., Hu, H., Talaulicar, T., Witt, M., Zattoni, A., Lopez-Iturriaga, F., …Kibler, B. (2014). Configurations of capacity for change in entrepreneurial threshold firms: imprinting and strategic choice perspectives. Journal of Management Studies, 52(4), 506-530. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12121

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 25, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Dec 31, 2014
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2014
• Deposit Date: Dec 5, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 27, 2019
• Print ISSN: 0022-2380
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-6486
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 506-530
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12121
• Keywords: imprinting theory, strategic choice theory, organizational capacity for change, fuzzy; set analysis, IPO firms; 2
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1368266
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joms.12121
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Judge, W. Q., Hu, H. W., Gabrielsson, J. , Talaulicar, T. , Witt, M. A., Zattoni, A. , López‐Iturriaga, F. , Chen, J. J., Shukla, D. , Quttainah, M. , Adegbite, E. , Luis Rivas, J. and Kibler, B. (2015), Configurations of Capacity for Change in Entrepreneurial Threshold Firms: Imprinting and Strategic Choice Perspectives. Jour. of Manage. Stud., 52: 506-530, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12121. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions."