• Framing Contest of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Internet of Things

Abstract

The formation of new industry architectures does not typically occur without contention; instead, it occurs through intense combative processes. The industry takes on the form of a battleground, with different camps competing for the power of discourse to frame the new industry and define its rules. Thus, establishing an industry architecture based on vision and strategies is called a framing contest. In this paper, the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) industry is used an example. Within this industry, Cisco and Google are the two main framers. Cisco leads the traditional communications industry and Google leads the Internet industry. Through the encoding process of qualitative research, we explored how both companies act as active framers to influence and shape the network of industry architectures. We organized the framing process of new industry architectures into four stages: envisioning, roadmapping, alleging, and campaigning. Based on these stages, we analyzed how the framers rebuilt their ability to perform internal cross-department resource integration and reorganization. We then invited a technical community to participate in technological breakthroughs. Finally, they framed the market leaders together to assist them in implementing market-oriented pilot programs and pursuing their own interests in framing the new industry architecture. In the era of the IoT, a company cannot fight and win without help. These findings may serve as a reference on forming an alliance for Taiwanese enterprises.

Keywords: Industry Architecture, Framing Contest, Internet of Things