From Typology to Taxonomy: A Configurational Analysis of National Business Systems and their Explanatory Power
Abstract
The business systems approach holds considerable promise for improving our understanding of the relations between societal institutions and technological and economic outcomes. Nonetheless, there have been surprisingly few attempts to validate its proposed typology of business system types. In this paper, I take up this issue and conduct a large-scale empirical assessment of the national business systems typology. I use data on 30 OECD countries from 2000 and 2011 to assess the validity of the typology, and explore its value for comparative institutional analysis through a fuzzy-set analysis of innovation specialization patterns. The findings illustrate that while the national business systems typology needs to be extended, it remains relevant for describing variety in national institutional frameworks. In addition, the detail it adds may provide the nuance needed for exploring more complex relations between institutions and technological and economic outcomes.
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The combining of inductive reasoning typical of qualitative methods and the formal systematic cross-comparisons allowed by QCA naturally lends to typology building or typological extensions of existing theories.
“the combining of inductive reasoning typical of qualitative methods and the formal systematic cross-comparisons allowed by QCA naturally lends to typology building or typological extensions of existing theories (e.g., Hotho, 2014; Kvist, 2007).”
From Embracing Causal Complexity: The Emergence of a Neo-Configurational Perspective (2017) · cites this paper as Hotho, 2014
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“The assumption is that states that assume a more developmental role are more selective in granting subsidies and pursue less-effective competition policies (Singh, 2002; Westphal, 1990).”
BackgroundInstitutions and inflows of foreign direct investment: a fuzzy-set analysis
Pajunen, K. (2008) · Journal of International Business Studies · doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400371 · Cited by 299 · see citing works
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Embracing Causal Complexity: The Emergence of a Neo-Configurational Perspective
Misangyi, V. F., Greckhamer, T., Furnari, S., Fiss, P. C., Crilly, D., & Aguilera, R. (2017) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206316679252 · Cited by 1,099 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hotho, J. J.
- Affiliations
- Copenhagen Business School (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Hotho, Jasper J.
- ORCID
- Hotho, Jasper J.
- Venue
- Organization Studies
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-10-18
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 671-702
- ISSN
- 0170-8406 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-3044
- OpenAlex
- W2018588213
- Cited by
- 113
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5
- FWCI
- 13.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Organization Studies (publishedVersion)
- CBS Research Portal (Copenhagen Business School) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Copenhagen Business School
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Asian Industrial and Economic Development
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Economic Theory and Institutions
- Keywords
- national business systems, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, comparative institutional analysis, institutional framework, OECD countries
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