I evaluate two processes, niche formation and resource-partitioning, that could independently account for the entry of firms into new market segments in mature industries. The niche formation argument focuses on environmental changes that promote the entry of new firms whereas the...

My main theoretical contention is that status hierarchiesprovide a source of guidance to firms for resolving disputes. Astatus hierarchy implies a system of deference rules among firms.When disputes arise, deference rules can provide a basis for sharedexpectations and protocols of conduct about...

Why do some countries adopt market-oriented reforms such as deregulation, privatization and liberalization of competition in their infrastructure industries while others do not? Why did the pace of adoption accelerate in the 1990s? Building on neo-institutional theory in sociology, we argue that...