Path Dependence,Behavioral Rules,and the Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Change: The Case of the Automobile Industry

This paper develops a complementary theory of path dependence based on rigidity resulting from the choice of management system within the firm. Rules-following behavior introduces rigidity which can lead to inefficient path dependence within a firm. Entrepreneurial alertness, in a crisis, can prevent lock-in from occurring since it leads people to alter perceptions and change behavior. An empirical look at the automobile industry explores the idea of rules-following behavior inducing path dependence development and the potential for change despite inefficient path dependent behavior.     

Classical conditioning of unattended stimuli

Recently, marketing has increasingly recognized the potential application of classical conditioning principles. However, the design of marketing studies involving classical conditioning create focused attention upon the conditioned stimulus; whereas in the realistic marketing environment the conditioned stimulus seldom receives focused attention and most likely receives attenuated attention. Using a classical conditioning paradigm, the present study investigated the use of positive and negative unconditioned stimuli in the formation of affect for attended and unattended conditioned stimuli. The results indicated that the use of positive unconditioned stimuli can establish the formation of affect for both the attended and unattended conditioned stimuli. However, classical conditioning was not demonstrated when the unconditioned stimuli were negative. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.