Theorising path‐dependency: how does history come to matter in organisations?

Contends that path‐dependency provides an accurate, but under‐theorised description of organisational behaviour. By incorporating insights from actor‐network theory, we can better understand the processes by which organisations become “locked‐in” to behaviour patterns, but also how we might begin to break free from them. It seems that we must pay greater attention to the role of durable materials in networks, and to the strategies of simplification employed within organisations to deal with the complexity that surrounds them. In order to understand path‐dependency we must also look wider than traditional management theory towards a more semiotic understanding of organisational communication. All of these findings point to managers having to reconsider their role, especially with regard to the power that they may or may not hold, and to move towards an approach based more on the governance of their organisations than attempting to control every aspect under their jurisdiction. Concludes by providing some appropriate strategies through which this might be achieved.