Organizational Path Constitution in Technological Innovation: Evidence from Rural Telehealth

Author List: Singh, Rajendra; Mathiassen, Lars; Mishra, Abhay;
MIS Quarterly, 2015, Volume 39, Issue 3, Page 653-665.
Path constitution theory has emerged as a promising combination of two contrasting perspectives on technological innovation: path dependence, which focuses on historically embedded, contingent processes that are more or less beyond the control of actors, and path creation, which emphasizes mindful contributions from powerful actors. However, the current path constitution literature focuses on macro- and multi-level inquiry without addressing the specific processes, opportunities, and challenges related to organizational (micro-level) technological innovation. Against this backdrop, we draw on the innovation and path literature as well as a case study of telehealth innovation in a public health organization to theorize how technological innovation paths constitute in organizational contexts. The proposed theory distinguishes between innovation path status and innovation path trajectory to help researchers understand and explain how organizations transform and reinforce path constitution patterns, how innovation paths may merge with or separate from other paths, and how organizations may arrive at a lock-in that challenges them to break out from dominant and seemingly irreversible action patterns.
Keywords: Technological innovation; innovation path constitution; path creation; path dependence; rural telehealth; social construction of technology; public health
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#210 0.274 innovation innovations innovative organizing technological vision disruptive crowdsourcing path implemented explain base opportunities study diversity taking actors practice shape creation
#35 0.176 technology organizational information organizations organization new work perspective innovation processes used technological understanding technologies transformation consequences perspectives use administrative economic
#158 0.103 capital social ict communication rural icts cognitive society information well-being relational india societal empirically create develop disadvantaged technologies explore china
#226 0.101 models linear heterogeneity path nonlinear forecasting unobserved alternative modeling methods different dependence paths efficient distribution probabilities demonstrate observed heterogeneous probability
#24 0.091 institutional pressures logic theory normative embedded context incumbent contexts forces inertia institutionalized environment pressure identify mimetic dominant coupling board newly
#188 0.091 processes interaction new interactions temporal structure research emergent process theory address temporally core discussion focuses area underlying deep structures way
#222 0.081 research researchers framework future information systems important present agenda identify areas provide understanding contributions using literature studies paper potential review