Choice of standards as a competitive strategy in high tech markets: a cross sectional study of UK businesses creation

Riley, Debra (2004) Choice of standards as a competitive strategy in high tech markets: a cross sectional study of UK businesses creation. Doctoral thesis, University of London: London Business School.

Abstract

In high technology markets, standards represent a source of competitive advantage for firms, influencing both business performance and technological development. Although previous approaches have suggested characterising standards along dimensions such as performance levels or functionality, the concept of a standard has not received much formal attention. In this thesis, I construct a typology to delineate product standards based on the interrelationships between: (i) components within the product, (ii) the product and other products, and/or (iii) the product and the user (Dhebar 1995). Drawing from marketing, business strategy and industrial organisation economics literature, I develop a framework linking firm, demand and industry characteristics to a firm's choice of standard to pursue. I argue that various antecedent factors may have opposing influences on the choice of standard, with implications for the positional advantage achieved by the firm. Survey data were collected from 234 marketing or technology managers from a representative sample of over 1700 high technology companies. The results supported the hypotheses that specific antecedent factors (reputation, learning costs, consumer heterogeneity, a radical innovation and appropriability) influence the type of standard pursued by a firm.