The Embeddedness of Technological Systems

Abstract

Technological systems are shaped both by forces arising from the technical environment of product markets and those arising from the institutional environment of compatibility standards. We explore how it might be possible for standards to simultaneously enable activities in the technical environment and not constrain them. Such a scenario is possible when the technical environment is not completely embedded in the standards that shape them. We characterize such technological systems as being "just" embedded.Information Systems Working Papers Serie