Slippery Paths of (Mis)Understanding? Historically Based Explanations in Social Science

Hidden Dynamics of Path Dependency: Organizational and Institutional Path Processes, Georg Schreyögg, Jörg Sydow, eds., Palgrave, Forthcoming

21 Pages Posted: 27 Oct 2009

See all articles by Dan Breznitz

Dan Breznitz

Georgia Institute of Technology

Date Written: October 26, 2009

Abstract

In the past two decades path-dependency theories not only became a prominent mode of explanation in the social sciences, but also re-awakened the interest in historical-based theories in the study of social and organizational change and continuity. Nonetheless, because of their popularity and success the term path-dependency has been broadened to encompass many different explanations which embody significantly divergent ontologies. This chapter aims to take account of this situation, clarify it, and offer some partial solution by differentiating and defining these explanations. In order to illuminate how each explanation is rooted in a different ontology, for each of the defined explanatory concepts, the chapter elucidates the mechanisms of its operation, conditions for social change, view of social history.

Keywords: Path Dependency, Lock-In, Nash Equilbrium, Self-Reinforcing-Sequences, Historical Explanation, Organizational Development

JEL Classification: N00, N80, O00, P50

Suggested Citation

Breznitz, Dan, Slippery Paths of (Mis)Understanding? Historically Based Explanations in Social Science (October 26, 2009). Hidden Dynamics of Path Dependency: Organizational and Institutional Path Processes, Georg Schreyögg, Jörg Sydow, eds., Palgrave, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1494529

Dan Breznitz (Contact Author)

Georgia Institute of Technology ( email )

Atlanta, GA 30332
United States

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