Emergence and Impact of Dominant (general management) Logic(s)in Software Ventures

Originally defined as "the way in which managers conceptualise the business and make critical resource allocation decisions", dominant logic(s) offers many avenues to address the controversies of strategizing: it can serve as a "filter" or as "blinders". Whereas empirical studies of dominant logic have mainly focused on mature organization such as General Electrics, this research analyses how these effects emerge. A comparative case study on Swiss and German Software Ventures is conducted. Based on the assumption that "cognitive rigidities" correlate with the age of the ventures, the sample consists of three groups of ventures: ventures founded in the 80s, the 90s, after 2000.

For data analysis aggregated cognitive mapping technique is used. In order to compensate for limitations commonly associated with this methodology, such as retrospective bias or missing consideration of dynamics, this methodology is supplemented by chronological analysis and discourse analysis. Whereas chronological analysis is intended to specify the relationships between concepts in the cognitive maps on a temporal basis, the discourse analysis will reveal the argumentative structure underlying the causal linkages in the cognitive maps.

Aufenthaltsort: Université du Québec (UQAM), Kanada (5 Monate);
Kenan Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (7 Monate)
Referenten: Prof. Dr. Georg von Krogh, Prof. Dr. Günter Müller-Stewens (beide IfB-HSG)