How does a new venture build a new product's legitimacy? Evidence from digital innovations in an established industry
by Wei Zhang; Steven White; Liyan Wang; Yongyi Zhao; Qixin Ye
International Journal of Technology Management (IJTM), Vol. 87, No. 2/3/4, 2021

Abstract: Any significantly new product will face legitimacy challenges when it enters the market, and even more so when launched by a new venture. We draw on an in-depth case study to explore the challenge of achieving product legitimacy, defined as a generalised perception or assumption that the features of a product are desirable, proper or appropriate within a business ecosystem with a particular set of norms, values and beliefs. From our analysis of a new venture who applied new digital technology to successfully launch new products in an established industry and emerging economy context, we identify four strategies by which the venture built legitimacy for its new products: orienting, leveraging, designing and enacting. We also find, by adopting appropriate ecosystem strategies, the venture was able to increase the value creation for customers and further enhance the legitimacy of their new products. This suggests that economic factors, rather than social factors that are more often highlighted in studies based in institutional theory, may have the greatest impact on the legitimacy of new products.

Online publication date: Thu, 17-Feb-2022

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Technology Management (IJTM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com