Technology cycles, dominant design and firm survival in the tractor industry

Resumo/Abstract: In this paper we identify three major technological breakthroughs in the American tractor industry and test the hypothesis that they influenced firms’ survival. We use the lognormal regression and control for the effects of population density, market size, business cycles and entry timing. The results show that early entrants have lower hazard rates than firms that entered during the next development phase of the industry, a phase which was characterized by high technological uncertainty, experimentation and non-standardization. However they also suggest the existence of a second “window of opportunity” for entry, which occurred after the introduction of the general purpose tractor.

Outros seminários / Other seminars: Programa completo / Full programme.