10 History in Theory
Imprinting and Path Dependence
Introduction
In addition to resorting to history as a source of data or evidence to test, develop or modify theory, some of the same research programs discussed in Chapters 8 and 9, as well as others, have integrated history into their theoretical models as a driver or moderator of organizational phenomena. The main premise in this diverse set of theoretical perspectives is that the past influences in some way the present and the futures of specific organizations and/or organizational aggregates. “History in theory” was the umbrella term introduced in Chapters 1 and 4 to characterize and distinguish the broad range of research programs where history has been incorporated as an element of theory ...
