Abstract

Within any given industry, some firms build competitive advantage on the basis of technology, others do not; some recognize and seize upon the strategic implications of new technology developments, others do not. Why do some firms make better strategic use of technology than others? The answer may have less to do with the management of technology than with the extent to which technological considerations play a role in the way business strategies are formulated. This article proposes a decision-making perspective that views technology as one of a number of competing options facing the corporate strategist, each ambiguous in definition and uncertain in outlook. Using this perspective, the article offers a set of propositions or tentative answers to these questions.