Path dependence, initial conditions, and routines in organizations : The Toyota production system re‐examined

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to disentangle and elaborate on the constitutive elements of the concept of path dependence (initial conditions and lock‐in) for a concerted and in‐depth application to the study of organizational change. Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of a combination of a longitudinal and a comparative case‐study, based on secondary literature. Findings – External initial conditions acted less as “imprinting” forces than is suggested in the literature on the genesis of the Toyota production system (TPS); a firm‐specific philosophy in combination with a critical sequence of events mainly shaped and locked‐in TPS. Research limitations/implications – The empirical sources are limited to publications in English, so relevant factors explaining the path taken may not all have been included. The importance of a salient meta‐routine might be firm‐specific. Practical implications – The study contributes to understanding the factors underlying corporate performance by a critical re‐examination of a much heralded production system (TPS). Originality/value – The paper highlights the use of the concept of meta‐routines to connect the core elements of path dependence, that is, sensitivity to initial conditions and lock‐in mechanisms.