Title: Imprinting (organizational theory) - Wikipedia
Headings: Imprinting (organizational theory)
Imprinting (organizational theory)
Contents
Organizational research on imprinting
Imprinting at other levels of analysis
See also
References

Content: Imprinting (organizational theory) - Wikipedia
Imprinting (organizational theory)
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For other uses, see Imprinting (disambiguation). In organizational theory and organizational behavior, imprinting is a core concept describing how the past affects the present. Imprinting is generally defined as a process whereby, during a brief period of susceptibility, a focal entity or actor (such as an industry, organization, or an individual) develops characteristics that reflect prominent features of the environment, and these characteristics continue to persist despite significant environmental changes in subsequent periods. This definition emphasizes three key elements of imprinting: brief sensitive periods of transition during which the focal entity exhibits high susceptibility to external influences; a process whereby the focal entity comes to reflect elements of its environment during a sensitive period; and
the persistence of imprints despite subsequent environmental changes. Contents
1 Organizational research on imprinting
2 Imprinting at other levels of analysis
3 See also
4 References
Organizational research on imprinting
The use of the imprinting concept (although not the term itself) in organizational theory dates back to Arthur Stinchcombe’s 1965 paper entitled "Social Structure and Organizations." This essay focused on understanding why organizations and industries that were founded in the same period were so similar even today. According to this essay, external environmental forces powerfully shaped firms’ initial structures during the founding period, and these structures persisted in the long run, well beyond the time of founding.