Technological Theories
Technological & Innovation Theories in Entrepreneurship
While management theories focus on the organization, technological theories focus on the tool and the innovation itself. These frameworks analyze how new technologies diffuse, interact with society, and create market value.
1. Actor-Network Theory (ANT)
This theory brings objects and technology into a network perspective. It suggests that non-human actors (software, machines) have agency within a venture. It views entrepreneurship as the alignment of a heterogeneous network of people and things.
2. Architectural Innovation
This theory looks at innovations that use the same existing components but assemble them in a new way (a new product architecture). It explains why incumbents often fail to perceive threats that don't involve "new science" but rather "new linkages."
3. Born Open Startup
Based on the idea of open source, a new breed of startups is ready to share intellectual property from day one. This theory suggests that "openness" can accelerate ecosystem growth and innovation faster than secrecy.
4. Competence Destroying Innovation
The Competence Destruction Theory analyzes innovations that render the existing know-how of an industry obsolete. This creates a distinct advantage for entrepreneurs who do not carry the "burden" of old skills and legacy systems.
5. Diffusion of Innovations Theory
Everett Rogers' theory puts the emphasis on how innovations spread. It tracks the adoption lifecycle through specific groups: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards.
6. Digital Entrepreneurship
This framework categorizes digital entrepreneurship as a unique phenomenon. It focuses on the specific properties of digital goods—such as reprogrammability and self-referencing—that differentiate them from physical manufacturing.
7. Disruptive Innovation
Clayton Christensen's theory describes innovations that create a new market value network, eventually displacing established market-leading firms. True disruption usually starts at the low end of the market before moving upmarket.
8. Generativity Theory
This theory focuses on technological environments that allow uncoordinated audiences to create unexpected change. It explains the power of platforms (like iOS or Android) where the entrepreneur provides the foundation for others to build upon.
9. McLuhanian Theory
Marshall McLuhan's theory suggests that "the medium is the message." In an entrepreneurial context, it argues that the technology (the medium) used to deliver a product influences the user and society more than the content of the product itself.
