The advancement and growth of institutional theory over the past seven decades has
brought with it an increasing plurality in its theoretical and empirical approaches, along with …

Abstract Research Summary Cultural entrepreneurship theory suggests that entrepreneurial
narratives need to be optimally distinctive—neither portraying an offering as too similar to …

Optimal distinctiveness–being both'similar to'and'different from'peers–is an important
imperative of organizational life and represents a common research question of …

Categories are organized vertically, with product categories nested under larger umbrella
categories. Meaning flows from umbrella categories to the categories beneath them, such …

Longevity is at the core of what makes family businesses special. Unlike most attempts to
explain longevity that have focused primarily on the factors within a family business that lead …

We investigate how a firm's positioning relative to category exemplars shapes security
analysts' evaluations. Using a two-stage model of evaluation (initial screening and …

Although studies underscore the importance of creating a coherent collective identity in
order to legitimate a new market category, strategy and entrepreneurship research is divided …

In their pursuit of “optimal distinctiveness,” firms need to simultaneously adhere to norms
and stand out from the competition. Using longitudinal data from Amazon Launchpad, an …

Goal-based categories have recently emerged as an alternative perspective to the dominant
account of prototypical market categories. However, key questions remain regarding the …

Industries with emerging market categories offer greater opportunities for firms to innovate.
However, such opportunities are not a matter of “the more, the better.” An increasing number …