IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v11y2000i2p212-226.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Making Sense in Hypercompetitive Environments: A Cognitive Explanation for the Persistence of High Velocity Competition

Author

Listed:
  • William C. Bogner

    (J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Box 4014, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4014)

  • Pamela S. Barr

    (J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Box 4014, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4014)

Abstract

This paper explores the cognitive aspects underlying industries in hypercompetitive environments. Hypercompetition represents a state of competition with rapidly escalating levels of competition and reduced periods of competitive advantage for firms. In hypercompetitive industries member firms act boldly and aggressively to create a state of competitive disequilibrium. In this paper we explore the particular conditions that managers encounter in making sense of hypercompetitive industries and argue that the nature of these conditions is such that conventional sensemaking frameworks will not work. We then describe the “adaptive sensemaking” practices established in the literature for dealing with temporary turbulence and suggest that in hypercompetition those processes continue indefinitely. We argue that these processes can become institutionalized as standard operating procedures within firms, and as shared recipes within industries, which in turn perpetuates hyperturbulent conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • William C. Bogner & Pamela S. Barr, 2000. "Making Sense in Hypercompetitive Environments: A Cognitive Explanation for the Persistence of High Velocity Competition," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(2), pages 212-226, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:11:y:2000:i:2:p:212-226
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.11.2.212.12511
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.11.2.212.12511
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.11.2.212.12511?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liam Fahey & V. K. Narayanan, 1989. "Linking Changes In Revealed Causal Maps And Environmental Change: An Empirical Study," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 361-378, July.
    2. Joseph F. Porac & Howard Thomas & Charles Baden‐Fuller, 1989. "Competitive Groups As Cognitive Communities: The Case Of Scottish Knitwear Manufacturers," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 397-416, July.
    3. L.G. Thomas, 1996. "The Two Faces of Competition: Dynamic Resourcefulness and the Hypercompetitive Shift," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(3), pages 221-242, June.
    4. C. Marlene Fiol, 1994. "Consensus, Diversity, and Learning in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 403-420, August.
    5. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    6. H. B. Malmgren, 1961. "Information, Expectations and the Theory of the Firm," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 75(3), pages 399-421.
    7. Pamela S. Barr & Anne S. Huff, 1997. "Seeing isn’t Believing: Understanding Diversity in the Timing of Strategic Response," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 337-370, May.
    8. George P. Huber, 1991. "Organizational Learning: The Contributing Processes and the Literatures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 88-115, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Florence Allard-Poesi, 1998. "Representations And Influence Processes In Groups: Towards A Socio-Cognitive Perspective On Cognition In Organization," Post-Print hal-01490579, HAL.
    2. Tammy E. Beck & Donde Ashmos Plowman, 2009. "Experiencing Rare and Unusual Events Richly: The Role of Middle Managers in Animating and Guiding Organizational Interpretation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(5), pages 909-924, October.
    3. Beth A. Bechky, 2003. "Sharing Meaning Across Occupational Communities: The Transformation of Understanding on a Production Floor," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(3), pages 312-330, June.
    4. Shaker A. Zahra & Anders P. Nielsen & William C. Bogner, 1999. "Corporate Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, and Competence Development," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(3), pages 169-189, April.
    5. Katsuhiko Shimizu, 2008. "New Strategy Implementation and Learning: Importance of Consensus," Working Papers 0034, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.
    6. Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal & Tarba, Shlomo Yedidia & Liu, Yipeng & Glaister, Keith W., 2016. "Knowledge transfer and cross-border acquisition performance: The impact of cultural distance and employee retention," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 66-75.
    7. Schilling, Melissa A. & Green, Elad, 2011. "Recombinant search and breakthrough idea generation: An analysis of high impact papers in the social sciences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 1321-1331.
    8. repec:dgr:rugsom:97b05 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. María José Sanzo & Luis Ignacio Álvarez & Marta Rey, 2017. "Lights and Shadows of Business-Nonprofit Partnerships: The Role of Nonprofit Learning and Empowerment in this Ethical Puzzle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-21, August.
    10. Rai Niharika, 2004. "Environmental Scanning in High Velocity Environment," IIMA Working Papers WP2004-05-04, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    11. Nay Chi Khin Khin Oo & Sirisuhk Rakthin, 2022. "Integrative Review of Absorptive Capacity’s Role in Fostering Organizational Resilience and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-27, October.
    12. Peters, Matt D. & Wieder, Bernhard & Sutton, Steve G. & Wakefield, James, 2016. "Business intelligence systems use in performance measurement capabilities: Implications for enhanced competitive advantage," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 1-17.
    13. Iavor Marangozov, 2005. "From Practice to Theory of the International Joint Ventures," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 44-77.
    14. Yan Ling & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2010. "The Effects of Family Firm Specific Sources of TMT Diversity: The Moderating Role of Information Exchange Frequency," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 322-344, March.
    15. Frank T. Rothaermel & Maria Tereza Alexandre, 2009. "Ambidexterity in Technology Sourcing: The Moderating Role of Absorptive Capacity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 759-780, August.
    16. Farhad Alipour & Khairuddin Idris & Roohangiz Karimi, 2011. "Knowledge Creation and Transfer: Role of Learning Organization," International Journal of Business Administration, International Journal of Business Administration, Sciedu Press, vol. 2(3), pages 61-67, August.
    17. Adrian S. Choo & Kevin W. Linderman & Roger G. Schroeder, 2007. "Method and Psychological Effects on Learning Behaviors and Knowledge Creation in Quality Improvement Projects," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(3), pages 437-450, March.
    18. Ana Villar & César Camisón & Montserrat Boronat, 2007. "Technical Strategic Alliances And Performance: The Mediating Effect Of Knowledge ¿Based Competencies," Working Papers. Serie EC 2007-11, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    19. Da Mota de Pina E Cunha, A.M., 1998. "Determinants of Product Innovation in Organizations : Practices and Performance in the Portugese Financial Sector," Other publications TiSEM e6e4e56e-b72a-4392-8d79-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    20. Anindya Ghosh & Thomas Klueter, 2022. "The Role of Frictions due to Top Management in Alliance Termination Decisions: Insights from Established Bio‐Pharmaceutical Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(5), pages 1315-1353, July.
    21. Anu Wadhwa & Isabel Maria Bodas Freitas & M. B. Sarkar, 2017. "The Paradox of Openness and Value Protection Strategies: Effect of Extramural R&D on Innovative Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(5), pages 873-896, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:11:y:2000:i:2:p:212-226. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.