INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS, TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY AND INDUSTRY STRUCTURE - THE CASE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

This paper examines the literature on the effects of industry structur e and technology strategy on the international competitiveness of Amer ican companies in the sector of information technology. Key propositio ns which are prevalent in the literature are described, and several ca se studies of successes and failures are highlighted. The paper also d iscusses the paucity of empirical studies in the area of technology an d corporate policy, and provides some examples from the literature and from an exploratory field investigation of information technology com panies. Finally, the paper proposes some possible scenarios for the fu ture development of the US information technology industry as it matur es and solidifies its international position.