技术创新中路径依赖的成因及破解分析

技术创新作为一种重要的竞争策略,已经日益受到企业的重视。然而,由于路径依赖现象的存在,新技术的推广活动在市场上面临着巨大的阻力和挑战。本文通过对路径依赖产生的原因进行分析,认为正是由于转换成本和网络效应的存在导致了路径依赖的出现。转换成本的存在虽然导致了路径依赖或锁定现象的出现,但这种锁定是有限度的,在很多情况下网络效应起到了更为重要的决定作用。在网络效应的影响下,市场容易表现出正反馈的特点：如果一种技术在市场上建立起来的安装基础具有相对优势,就有可能使市场选择向有利于自己的方向发展,从而限制其它技术的市场份额。因此,一项技术创新能否取代旧技术,关键在于用户规模能否达到所需的临界容量。根据路径依赖的形成特点,本文提出了几种破解路径依赖的有效途径：大幅度提高技术水平,采取技术兼容策略和尽快达到临界容量。

Research on Reasons and Breaking Ways of Path Dependence of Technology Innovation

As an important competition strategy, technology innovation has been paid more attention by enterprises. However, new technologies are faced with the resistance of old technologies because of path dependence. The article analyzes the reasons that lead to path dependence and thinks switching costs and network effects play important roles. However, the lock-in that switching costs cause is limited. Usually, network effects have more important influence to path dependence. The market of network effects exhibits its trait of positive feedback and the technology that has more installed bases will restrict other technologies＇ popularization. Therefore, the key that new technologies replace old technologies is its user number reaches critical mass quickly. Based on analyzing of these two reasons, path dependence can be broken by enhancing technology level hugely, adopting technological compliance strategy and reaching critical mass as soon as possible.