Can hierarchy hold back the dynamics of selfreinforcing processes? A simulation study on path dependence in hierarchies

Abstract

Theories of path dependence and incumbent inertia assume that self-reinforcing mechanisms lead to highly persistent and eventually inefficient institutional solutions. The resulting lock-in is likely to threaten the viability of an organization. While path dependence theory was initially developed as a market-based approach, it has more recently been transferred to institutional settings and in particular to hierarchies. Some critics doubt, however, its applicability to hierarchical organizations. The major argument states that asymmetric power structures in organizations differ significantly from symmetric coordination modes and autonomous evolutionary dynamics. Hierarchical authority is assumed to be stronger and to rule out emergent autonomous dynamics. This reasoning raises the question whether hierarchical structures are actually strong enough to suppress (deliberately) the power of evolutionary self-reinforcing organizational dynamics, or vice versa. To our knowledge, there are no studies to date examining in detail these reverse dynamics.