Path Dependence Research in Regional Economic Development: Cacophony or Knowledge Accumulation?

Abstract

Henning M., Stam E. and Wenting R. Path dependence research in regional economic development: cacophony or knowledge accumulation, Regional Studies. The concept of path dependence has gained momentum in the social sciences, particularly in economic geography. This paper explores the empirical literature on path dependence and path creation in regional economic development. It offers a critical reflection on these studies and outlines commonalities and problems in research designs and empirical testing. The review suggests that the popularity of the path dependence concept in regional studies has led to a cacophony of studies rather than to a purposeful accumulation of knowledge around the concept. Gaps are identified and guidelines are suggested for future research on path creation and path dependence in regional development.

Henning M., Stam E. and Wenting R. 区域经济发展中的路径依赖研究：是噪声或是知识积累，区域研究。路径依赖的概念在社会科学中已获得相当大的动力，特别是对经济地理学而言。本文探讨有关区域经济发展中的路径依赖与路径创造之经验文献，并对这些研究做出批判性的反思、概述研究设计和经验检证中的共同性与问题。本回顾指出，区域研究中路径依赖概念的普及化，已导致纷杂的研究，而非对此一概念进行目的明确的知识积累。本文最后将指认其中的阙如，并对未来有关区域发展中的路径依赖与路径创造之研究提出指导方针。

路径依赖 路径创造 区域发展 经济发展 科技 经济地理

Henning M., Stam E. et Wenting R. La recherche sur les sentiers de dépendance dans le développement économique regional: une cacaphonie ou une accumulation des connaissances, Regional Studies. La notion des sentiers de dépendance a pris de l'élan dans les sciences sociales, notamment dans la géographie économique. Cet article cherche à examiner la documentation empirique sur les sentiers de dépendance et la création des sentiers dans le développement économique régional. Il fournit une réflexion critique de ces études et esquisse des points communs et des problèmes dans la conception de la recherche et la réalisation des tests empiriques. L'examen laisse supposer que la popularité de la notion des sentiers de dépendance dans les études régionales a produit une cacophonie d'études plutôt qu'une accumulation appréciable des connaissances autour de la notion. On identifie des lacunes et propose des lignes directrices pour la recherche future sur la création des sentiers et des sentiers de dépendance dans le développement régional.

Sentiers de dépendance Création des sentiers Développement régional Développement économique Technologie Géographie économique

Henning M., Stam E. und Wenting R. Erforschung der Pfadabhängigkeit in der regionalen Wirtschaftsentwicklung: Kakofonie oder Wissensmehrung, Regional Studies. Das Konzept der Pfadabhängigkeit hat in den Sozialwissenschaften und insbesondere in der Wirtschaftsgeografie an Bedeutung gewonnen. In diesem Beitrag wird die empirische Literatur über Pfadabhängigkeit und Pfaderzeugung in der regionalen Wirtschaftsentwicklung untersucht. Die Studien werden kritisch hinterfragt, und es werden gemeinsame Aspekte und Probleme beim Studienaufbau und bei der empirischen Überprüfung herausgearbeitet. Die Überprüfung legt den Schluss nahe, dass die Beliebtheit des Konzepts der Pfadabhängigkeit in den Regionalstudien nicht zu einer zielgerichteten Mehrung des Wissens über das Konzept, sondern vielmehr zu einer Kakofonie von Studien geführt hat. Wir identifizieren Lücken und schlagen Richtlinien für die künftige Erforschung der Pfaderzeugung und Pfadabhängigkeit in der Regionalentwicklung vor.

Pfadabhängigkeit Pfaderzeugung Regionalentwicklung Wirtschaftsentwicklung Technologie Wirtschaftsgeografie

Henning M., Stam E. y Wenting R. Estudio sobre la dependencia de rutas en el desarrollo económico regional: cacofonía o acumulación de conocimiento, Regional Studies. El concepto de la dependencia de rutas ha adquirido importancia en las ciencias sociales, en particular en la geografía económica. En este artículo analizamos la bibliografía empírica sobre la dependencia de rutas y la creación de rutas en el desarrollo económico regional. Realizamos una reflexión crítica sobre estos estudios y resaltamos las similitudes y los problemas en los diseños de investigación y pruebas empíricas. La revisión indica que la popularidad del concepto de dependencia de rutas en los estudios regionales ha llevado a una cacofonía de estudios en vez de una acumulación intencionada de conocimiento en torno al concepto. Identificamos lagunas y sugerimos pautas para futuras investigaciones sobre la creación de rutas y la dependencia de rutas en el desarrollo regional.

Dependencia de rutas Creación de rutas Desarrollo regional Desarrollo económico Tecnología Geografía económica

Keywords:

• Path dependence
• Path creation
• Regional development
• Economic development
• Technology
• Economic geography

JEL classifications:

• B52
• O14
• O18
• R11

Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was supplied by the Knowledge Centre Institutions of the Open Society at Utrecht University. Financial support from Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius Stiftelse is also acknowledged (Martin Henning). The authors would like to thank Koen Frenken and Ron Boschma and the participants at the Workshop on ‘Path Dependence and Path Creation in Regional Development’ at St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, for their useful comments.

Notes

The numbers shown here are not an attempt to explore fully the growth of the path dependence literature per discipline. The division of articles per discipline is based on the Web of Science's categorization of the journals. Since some journals are present in multiple categories, the results reported here offer a first indication of the relative shares per discipline in the path dependence literature. Furthermore, a drawback is that the Web of Science database might not include all publications or have a bias towards more recent publications. The data are derived from the Web of Science database updated on 2 November 2012.

Because of the eventual importance of small events on the larger economic structure, Bassanini and Dosi (2001) have noted that path dependence is weak in the short-run but strong on the long-run.

‘Ergodic’ means that outcomes are not dependent on the sequence of events and as such they are non-path dependent. For a discussion, see Hirsch and Gillespie (2001, p. 71).

More generally, path dependence can thus be used to explain why a pattern or outcome is surprisingly stable and becomes ‘locked-in’. As such, path dependence is also used to address the reinforcing process towards a particular stable state, without necessarily referring to a (theoretical) optimal alternative.

This sequence is discussed by Sydow et al. (2009). The authors thank one of the referees for making them aware of this discussion.

At least in general terms such a view on regional change is largely consistent with the canonical versions of path dependence. Note that the term ‘establishment of a new regional path’ does not necessarily reflect intentionality by individual agents in the process (which is denoted here the ‘creation’ of a new regional path).

Despite the encompassing literature on techno-economic paradigms, long waves, technology shifts and industrial revolutions, it is debated if these grand shifts exist at all and especially which causalities give rise to them (Rosenberg and Frischtak, 1983).

In this respect, North (1990) has emphasized that economic activities do not start from scratch, but have a memory with cognitive and institutional aspects.

Similar results have been found by Klepper (2002) for the US automobile industry, Cantner et al. (2006) for the German automobile industry, Audia et al. (2006) for US instrument manufacturers, and Wenting (2008) for the global fashion design industry.

In organization research, the analysis of path-dependent behaviour is becoming increasingly popular (for example, Beckman and Burton, 2008). However, as Sydow et al. (2009) pointed out, here:

a clear specification [of path dependence] is usually missing. This means, at the same time, that no indicators are available that allow for examining whether or not the organisational phenomena in question are actually path dependent. (p. 689)

David (1994) recognized the applicability of the path dependence model to institutional evolution, and described institutions as the ‘carriers of history’.

For a discussion on spatially bounded knowledge transfer mechanisms giving rise to related diversification in regional industrial structures, see Frenken and Boschma (2009) and Neffke et al. (2011).