Journal article
Selling science: Resource mobilization strategies in the emerging field of nanotechnology
Research policy, v 44(8), pp 1513-1526
Oct 2015
Abstract
•This paper explores how scientists may attract attention and gain resources in the emerging field of nanotechnology.•Innovations that balance between isomorphism and differentiation, breadth and focus, are hypothesized to receive the most resources.•I test my hypotheses with nano-related grants awarded by NSF from 1976 to 2005.•Results suggest that the art of balance is important even in fields driven by hard sciences and technologies.
Pioneers in emerging scientific and technology fields face liabilities of newness at both individual and collective levels. Insights from the literature of institutional entrepreneurship and sociology of knowledge suggest that, to overcome this double hurdle, early entrants may want to participate in a field’s hot center and connect their ideas to multiple existing fields to broaden their audience. However, these strategies have their drawbacks too, and the payoff of these strategies also decreases as a field gains cognitive legitimacy. Moreover, both the positive and negative effects of these mobilization strategies are more pronounced for less-experienced scientists. Findings from a comprehensive database on grant proposals in the emerging field of nanotechnology confirm these propositions, suggesting that an effective mobilization strategy is a balancing act between isomorphism and differentiation, breadth and boundary maintenance, especially in early stages of field development.
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Details
- Title
- Selling science: Resource mobilization strategies in the emerging field of nanotechnology
- Creators
- Jade Yu-Chieh Lo - Department of Management, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Publication Details
- Research policy, v 44(8), pp 1513-1526
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Management
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000359501500009
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84937867616
- Other Identifier
- 991019169100804721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Management