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Knowledge and Competitive Advantage The Coevolution of Firms, Technology, and National Institutions
By Johann Peter Murmann Published (November
2003) at Cambridge
University Press |
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You can download the introductory chapter to the book here: Introduction Download
new: You can search for text with the book with Google Search.
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Book Description: Entrepreneurs, managers, and policy makers must make decisions about a future that is inherently uncertain. Since the only rational guide for the future is the past, analysis of previous episodes in industrial development can shape informed decisions about what the future will hold. Historical scholarship that seeks to uncover systematically the causal processes transforming industries is thus of vital importance to the executives and managers shaping business policy today. With this in mind, Johann Peter Murmann compares the development of the synthetic dye industry in Great Britain, Germany, and the United States through the lenses of evolutionary theory. The rise of this industry constitutes an important chapter in business, economic, and technological history because synthetic dyes, invented in 1856, were the first scientific discovery quickly to give rise to a new industry. Just as with contemporary high tech industries, the synthetic dye business faced considerable uncertainty that led to many surprises for the agents involved. After the discovery of synthetic dyes, British firms led the industry for the first eight years, but German firms came to dominate the industry for decades; American firms, in contrast, played only a minor role in this important development. Murmann identifies differences in educational institutions and patent laws as the key reasons for German leadership in the industry. Successful firms developed strong ties to the centers of organic chemistry knowledge. As Murmann demonstrates, a complex coevolutionary process linking firms, technology, and national institutions resulted in very different degrees of industrial success among the dye firms in the three countries. |
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"Rarely
has any student of economic change combined impeccable scholarship, sophisticated
theory, challenging ideas, and engaging narrative in the elegant manner
of Johann Peter Murmann. Readers who have no interest whatsoever in industrial
chemistry will nevertheless learn a great deal about economic processes
from Murmann's original, ambitious work." |
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| "If
evolutionary models are to be successful at all in the social sciences,
it is in enhancing our understanding of technological and economic performance
in the past. In this pioneering work, Johann Peter Murmann does exactly
that, and immediately establishes himself as one of the most innovative
and bold scholars in the field. Using evolutionary theory and management
science, this book sheds important light on the nineteenth-century chemical
industry. This is one of the most methodologically original books in interdisciplinary
history to come out in recent years." Joel Mokyr, Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History, Northwestern University |
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| "Murmann's
study of the synthetic dye industry puts one in mind of some grand painting
by an Old Master: not only is the main scene imposingly displayed, but fascinating,
well-rendered details are to be found in every corner and shadow. His account
of the early decades of the industry reveals the remarkable complexity of
the social processes of industrial development. At the same time, his coevolutionary
perspective transcends the details, organizes this complex story in a compelling
fashion and leads the reader to a deeper understanding." Sidney G. Winter, Deloitte and Touche Professor of Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania |
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| "Darwin
not only set out his theory of biological evolution at some length but also
provided as much empirical backing as was available at the time. In this
remarkable book Johannn Peter Murmann sets out a general analysis of coevolution
and provides a detailed example to back it up how quickly the discovery
of synthetic dyes by an academic scientist gave rise to an industry that
in turn influenced the development of academic science. Murmann provides
a well-developed theory and evidence to support it. Who could ask for more?" David L. Hull, Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus), Northwestern University |
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"Johann
Peter Murmann's book is a major contribution to our understanding of the
interrelations between technological change and industry evolution. This
comparative study of the emergence of the synthetic dye industry wonderfully
illustrates how differences in public policy, university traditions, and
industry context affect both technical as well as industrial change. Murmann's
book will have a major impact on coevolutionary theory as well as industrial
policy. It is a book for researchers as well as for policy makers."
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| "Murmann's
admirable book provides the most persuasive account, to date, for Germany's
early leadership and long dominance of the synthetic dye industry after
the momentous, serendipitous scientific discovery by a young Englishman
in 1856. It is an account that employs a sharply focused, coevolutionary
lens upon the differing historical experiences of Germany, Great Britain
and the United States. The book calls attention to the ways in which the
earlier development paths of the German states had equipped them, much more
effectively than their potential competitors, to exploit the specialized
research tools of synthetic organic chemistry, upon which commercial success
was to become heavily dependent." Nathan Rosenberg, Professor of Economics (Emeritus), Stanford University |
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| "Johann
Peter Murmann's book shows convincingly that competitive advantage, especially
in the knowledge-intensive industries, is firmly rooted in national institutions.
Blending quantitative analysis and case study evidence over a period of
decades, he makes a major contribution to the fields of strategic management,
organizational theory, and technological innovation." Mauro F. Guillen, Dr. Felix Sandman Professor of International Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania |
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English Reviews |
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| German Reviews | |
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| In German | WirtschaftsWoche Page 1 Page 2 (in pdf) |
| Chemie in Unserer Zeit (in pdf) | |
You can order the book at Cambridge University Press or at: |
Amazon.com |
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See some pictures from the synthetic dye industry and product labels from all over the world here.
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