Is it a car or a truck?: managerial beliefs, the choice of product architecture, and the emergence of the minivan market segment
通过1970-1985年克莱斯勒、福特和通用汽车开发小型货车的案例，研究在位企业在新市场细分领域出现时的产品创新决策，发现现有理论不足以解释，进而提出基于四种机制相互关系的理论。
New markets segments are a common setting for studies in technology strategy. These studies generally assume that new segments already exist, or have formed following the introduction of a product innovation by an entering firm. Thus, theory on the role of established firms in the emergence of new market segments is underdeveloped. This study informs current research by explaining the product innovation decisions of established firms during the emergence of a new market segment. The results of a case study on the development and commercialization of the minivan at Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors between 1970 and 1985 indicate that existing theories based on managerial cognition, firm capabilities, economic incentives, and organizational structure are insufficient to explain the decisions. This article develops theory based on the interrelationship of these four mechanisms.