IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-02080207.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Technological competition: a path towards commoditization or differentiation? Some evidence from a comparison of e-book readers

Author

Listed:
  • Pierre-Jean Benghozi

    (i3-CRG - Centre de recherche en gestion i3 - X - École polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Elisa Salvador

    (ESSCA - Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers)

Abstract

Technological rivalry is recognized as a key dimension of competition and innovation strategies in the digital era. It is particularly important in strategies focused on disruptive and repeated innovations, where each step contributes to shaping the design of the offering, the structuring of the market and the value chain. These technological trajectories are built on the basis of tensions between two contradictory objectives: specialization aimed at creating proprietary systems and standardization aimed at supplying the overall market. In the former case, successive innovations support competition between exclusive and proprietary ecosystems. In the latter case, commoditized devices create opportunities for alternative actors to engage in innovation and value creation. The e-book reader market serves as a key example of the issues at stake in terms of technological rivalry among technology suppliers, digital platforms, and publishers.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2015. "Technological competition: a path towards commoditization or differentiation? Some evidence from a comparison of e-book readers," Post-Print hal-02080207, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02080207
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02080207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-02080207/document
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Klenner, Philipp & Hüsig, Stefan & Dowling, Michael, 2013. "Ex-ante evaluation of disruptive susceptibility in established value networks—When are markets ready for disruptive innovations?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 914-927.
    2. repec:dau:papers:123456789/11401 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Fréderic Le Roy & Famara Hyacinthe Sanou, 2014. "Stratégie de coopétition et performance de marché : une étude empirique," Post-Print hal-02048035, HAL.
    4. Claudio Vitari & Aurelio Ravarini, 2009. "A Longitudinal Analysis of Trajectory Changes in the Software Industry: The Case of the Content Management Application Segment," Post-Print hal-00462408, HAL.
    5. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13240 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Blanc, Antoine & Huault, Isabelle, 2014. "Against the digital revolution? Institutional maintenance and artefacts within the French recorded music industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 10-23.
    7. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2016. "How and Where the R&D Takes Place in Creative Industries? Digital Investment Strategies of the Book Publishing Sector," Post-Print hal-02078881, HAL.
    8. Antoine Blanc & Isabelle Huault, 2011. "Against the Digital Revolution?," Post-Print halshs-00685464, HAL.
    9. Austan Goolsbee & Chad Syverson, 2008. "How Do Incumbents Respond to the Threat of Entry? Evidence from the Major Airlines," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(4), pages 1611-1633.
    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/14120 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Jean-Paul Simon & Giuditta de Prato, 2012. "The Book Publishing Industry," JRC Research Reports JRC76642, Joint Research Centre.
    12. Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1986. "Technology Adoption in the Presence of Network Externalities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(4), pages 822-841, August.
    13. Michael T. Hannan & James N. Baron & Greta Hsu & Ozgecan Koçak, 2006. "Organizational identities and the hazard of change," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 15(5), pages 755-784, October.
    14. François Deltour & Virginie Lethiais, 2014. "L'innovation en PME et son accompagnement par les TIC : quels effets sur la performance ?," Post-Print hal-01067085, HAL.
    15. Claudio Vitari & Aurelio Ravarini, 2009. "A Longitudinal Analysis of Trajectory Changes in the Software Industry: The Case of the Content Management Application Segment," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-00462408, HAL.
    16. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13239 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Antoine Blanc & Isabelle Huault, 2014. "Against the digital revolution ? Institutional maintenance and artefacts within the French recorded music industry," Post-Print hal-01496388, HAL.
    18. David, Paul A, 1985. "Clio and the Economics of QWERTY," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 332-337, May.
    19. Rüling, Charles-Clemens & Duymedjian, Raffi, 2014. "Digital bricolage: Resources and coordination in the production of digital visual effects," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 98-110.
    20. Gnyawali, Devi R. & Park, Byung-Jin (Robert), 2011. "Co-opetition between giants: Collaboration with competitors for technological innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 650-663, June.
    21. Jean-Charles Rochet & Jean Tirole, 2003. "Platform Competition in Two-Sided Markets," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 1(4), pages 990-1029, June.
    22. Elen Riot, 2013. "L'édition française à l'heure de la rupture du livre numérique," Entreprendre & innover, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(2), pages 31-40.
    23. Oecd, 2012. "E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations," OECD Digital Economy Papers 208, OECD Publishing.
    24. Sophie Larribeau & Thierry Pénard, 2003. "Que peut-on dire des stratégies tarifaires sur Internet ? Une étude économétrique sur la vente en ligne de CD en France," Post-Print halshs-00069654, HAL.
    25. Henk W. Volberda & Arie Y. Lewin, 2003. "Co‐evolutionary Dynamics Within and Between Firms: From Evolution to Co‐evolution," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(8), pages 2111-2136, December.
    26. Michael T. Hannan, 2005. "Ecologies of Organizations: Diversity and Identity," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 51-70, Winter.
    27. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    28. Reimann, Martin & Schilke, Oliver & Thomas, Jacquelyn S., 2010. "Toward an understanding of industry commoditization: Its nature and role in evolving marketing competition," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 188-197.
    29. Cecere, Grazia & Corrocher, Nicoletta & Battaglia, Riccardo David, 2015. "Innovation and competition in the smartphone industry: Is there a dominant design?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 162-175.
    30. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2014. "Strategies and business models of online platforms in CCIs: convergence or differentiation in the e-book sector?," Post-Print hal-02083738, HAL.
    31. Cécile Chamaret, 2011. "Comment échapper à la commoditisation," Post-Print hal-00648275, HAL.
    32. Brousseau,Eric & Curien,Nicolas (ed.), 2007. "Internet and Digital Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521855914, September.
    33. Sébastien Tran, 2014. "Quelle contribution des technologies collaboratives à la configuration des organisations ?," Post-Print halshs-01078728, HAL.
    34. Stefan H. Thomke, 1998. "Managing Experimentation in the Design of New Products," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(6), pages 743-762, June.
    35. Murmann, J. Peter, 2002. "The coevolution of industries and national institutions: Theory and evidence," Discussion Papers, various Research Units FS IV 02-14, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    36. Charles-Clemens Rüling & Raffi Duymedjian, 2014. "Digital bricolage: Resources and coordination in the production of digital visual effects," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-00969226, HAL.
    37. Ricarda B. Bouncken & Viktor Fredrich, 2012. "Coopetition: Performance Implications And Management Antecedents," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(05), pages 1-28.
    38. Marcie J. Tyre & Wanda J. Orlikowski, 1994. "Windows of Opportunity: Temporal Patterns of Technological Adaptation in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 98-118, February.
    39. Pierre-Jean Benghozi, 1990. "Managing Innovation : from ad hoc to Routine in French Telecom," Post-Print hal-00262530, HAL.
    40. Inna Lyubareva & Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Teaiki Fidele, 2014. "Online Business Models in Creative Industries," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 43-62, January.
    41. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Thomas Paris, 2007. "The economics and business models of prescription in the Internet," Post-Print hal-00263198, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador & Jean-Paul Simon, 2018. "The race for innovation in the media and content industries: legacy players and newcomers. Lessons from the music and newspaper industries," Post-Print hal-02091962, HAL.
    2. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2015. "Technological innovation and R&D. The disregarded dimension of the creative industries: the case of book publishing," Economia della Cultura, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 255-268.
    3. Elisa Salvador & Hassan El Asraoui & Mylene Akbaraly, 2019. "The difficult relationship between the consultancy market and SMEs: inspiring insights from the case of Drôme," Post-Print hal-02513526, HAL.
    4. Elisa Salvador & Jean-Paul Simon & Pierre-Jean Benghozi, 2019. "Facing disruption: the cinema value chain in the digital age," Post-Print hal-02300929, HAL.

    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. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2015. "Technological innovation and R&D. The disregarded dimension of the creative industries: the case of book publishing," Economia della Cultura, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 255-268.
    2. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2014. "Strategies and business models of online platforms in CCIs: convergence or differentiation in the e-book sector?," Post-Print hal-02083738, HAL.
    3. Françoise Benhamou, 2015. "Fair use and fair competition for digitized cultural goods: the case of eBooks," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 39(2), pages 123-131, May.
    4. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador & Jean-Paul Simon, 2018. "The race for innovation in the media and content industries: legacy players and newcomers. Lessons from the music and newspaper industries," Post-Print hal-02091962, HAL.
    5. Elisa Salvador & Jean-Paul Simon & Pierre-Jean Benghozi, 2019. "Facing disruption: the cinema value chain in the digital age," Post-Print hal-02300929, HAL.
    6. Pierre-Jean Benghozi & Elisa Salvador, 2016. "How and Where the R&D Takes Place in Creative Industries? Digital Investment Strategies of the Book Publishing Sector," Post-Print hal-02078881, HAL.
    7. Anne Vancaelemont, 2015. "The power of objects ? Materiality and institutional work in the French recorded music industry (1994-2014)," Post-Print hal-01267723, HAL.
    8. Kenney, Martin, 2002. "Economic Action Does Not Take Place in a Vacuum: Understanding Cisco's Acquisition and Development Strategy," UCAIS Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, Working Paper Series qt9hc7694b, UCAIS Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, UC Berkeley.
    9. Author-Name: Stephen Bazen & Laurence Bouvard & Jean-Benoît Zimmermann, 2014. ""Jamendo: The Heartbeat of Free Music!" Musicians and the Creative Commons," AMSE Working Papers 1447, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France, revised Oct 2014.
    10. Xie, Qiuhao & Gao, Ying & Xia, Nini & Zhang, Shuibo & Tao, Guowu, 2023. "Coopetition and organizational performance outcomes: A meta-analysis of the main and moderator effects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    11. Liu, He & Li, Xuerong & Wang, Shouyang, 2021. "A bibliometric analysis of 30 years of platform research: Developing the research agenda for platforms, the associated technologies and social impacts," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    12. Jullien, Bruno, 2010. "Two-Sided B2B Platforms," TSE Working Papers 11-223, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Mar 2011.
    13. Papachristos, George, 2017. "Diversity in technology competition: The link between platforms and sociotechnical transitions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 291-306.
    14. Sylvain Colombero, 2016. "The Interpretative Frame: the link between the Institution and its Artifact Carrier," Post-Print hal-01302428, HAL.
    15. Alix Poels, 2016. "« Attrape-moi si tu peux » : Consommateurs ordinaires et rôle de la matérialité dans la pérennisation d'une pratique illégale de consommation," Post-Print hal-01385127, HAL.
    16. Danielle Galliano & Luis Orozco, 2011. "Les déterminants industriels et spatiaux du processus d'adoption de technologies : Le cas des systèmes de traçabilité dans les firmes industrielles françaises," Géographie, économie, société, Lavoisier, vol. 13(2), pages 135-163.
    17. Shen, Xiaobai & Williams, Robin & Zheng, Shufeng & Liu, Yinliang & Li, Yixiao & Gerst, Martina, 2019. "Digital online music in China – A “laboratory” for business experiment," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 235-249.
    18. Sotarauta, Markku & Srinivas, Smita, 2006. "Co-evolutionary policy processes: Understanding innovative economies and future resilience," MPRA Paper 52689, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Rodolphe Durand & Robert M. Grant & Tammy L. Madsen & David P. McIntyre & Arati Srinivasan, 2017. "Networks, platforms, and strategy: Emerging views and next steps," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 141-160, January.
    20. Wolfgang Hora & Johanna Gast & Norbert Kailer & Andrea Rey-Marti & Alicia Mas-Tur, 2018. "David and Goliath: causes and effects of coopetition between start-ups and corporates," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 411-439, March.

    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:hal:journl:hal-02080207. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.