Role of Fashion Week
Fashioning an Industry: How Entrepreneurs and Others Shape The Emergence and Evolution of an Industry *
Mukti Khaire Harvard Business School January 8, 2008
Abstract: Studies of entrepreneurs in new industries have traditionally focused on the activities of the entrepreneurs in question, with too little attention paid to other economic players whose activities may bear directly on the entrepreneurs’ success. These prior studies have therefore tended to focus on pioneer-entrepreneurs’ attempts at the appropriate cognitive framing of their new activities and at building a critical mass of attention to gain legitimacy. In this exploratory and inductive study of the emergence and evolution of the Indian high-end fashion industry and the actions of entrepreneurs in the early days of this industry, I seek to redress these shortcomings of prior organizational research. Based on interviews with pioneer-entrepreneurs as well as members of the ecosystem of a new industry, and fieldwork I find that, although legitimacy-seeking is indeed an important activity for pioneer-entrepreneurs, they are aided, often without their knowledge or invitation, by other actors pursuing their own self-interests rather than directly intending to help these entrepreneurs. This paper adds to the literature of institutional and collective action perspectives on industry emergence and evolution by explicitly considering the role of the entire field of production in enhancing the legitimacy of a new industry. The paper’s findings refine our understanding of industry emergence, particularly in creative industries.
While all entrepreneurs and new firms lack legitimacy and credibility, pioneer-entrepreneurs-i.e. entrepreneurs starting new firms in new industries or engaged in new economic activities-experience a more acute lack of legitimacy. Such pioneer-entrepreneurs need to establish simultaneously the legitimacy and credibility of both
Mukti Khaire Harvard Business School January 8, 2008
Abstract: Studies of entrepreneurs in new industries have traditionally focused on the activities of the entrepreneurs in question, with too little attention paid to other economic players whose activities may bear directly on the entrepreneurs’ success. These prior studies have therefore tended to focus on pioneer-entrepreneurs’ attempts at the appropriate cognitive framing of their new activities and at building a critical mass of attention to gain legitimacy. In this exploratory and inductive study of the emergence and evolution of the Indian high-end fashion industry and the actions of entrepreneurs in the early days of this industry, I seek to redress these shortcomings of prior organizational research. Based on interviews with pioneer-entrepreneurs as well as members of the ecosystem of a new industry, and fieldwork I find that, although legitimacy-seeking is indeed an important activity for pioneer-entrepreneurs, they are aided, often without their knowledge or invitation, by other actors pursuing their own self-interests rather than directly intending to help these entrepreneurs. This paper adds to the literature of institutional and collective action perspectives on industry emergence and evolution by explicitly considering the role of the entire field of production in enhancing the legitimacy of a new industry. The paper’s findings refine our understanding of industry emergence, particularly in creative industries.
While all entrepreneurs and new firms lack legitimacy and credibility, pioneer-entrepreneurs-i.e. entrepreneurs starting new firms in new industries or engaged in new economic activities-experience a more acute lack of legitimacy. Such pioneer-entrepreneurs need to establish simultaneously the legitimacy and credibility of both
References: Jones, Candace 2001 "Co-evolution of Entrepreneurial Careers, Institutional Rules and Competitive Dynamics in American Film, 1895-1920." Organization Studies, 22: 911-944. Kipping, Matthias 1999 "American Management Consulting Companies in Western Europe, 1920 to 1990: Products, Reputation, and Relationships." Business History Review, 73: 190-220. Mezias, Stephen J, and Jerome C Kuperman 2000 "The Community Dynamics of Entrepreneurship: The Birth of the American Film Industry, 1895-1929." Journal of Business Venturing, 16: 209-233.