Trafikstörningar på taximarknaden - En studie om hanteringen av digitala innovationer

Sammanfattning: The power of digitalization has proven to entail a potentially devastating effect for incumbent firms as it reshapes markets and erases traditional business models. As a consequence, leaders and policymakers need to reassess their strategies and adapt to new circumstances. The purpose of this study is to investigate how technological disruption affects institutional expectations as well as the strategies employed by incumbent firms in response to these new circumstances. This thesis was conducted as a qualitative case study researching the digitalization of the taxi market in Stockholm. Empirical evidence was collected through qualitative interviews with representatives from the two largest market actors. A theoretical framework was derived from neo-institutional theory and disruptive innovation theory in order to understand the multiple forces that shape organizational fields, and the strategies used by market actors in response to these forces. Empirical findings reveal that an including or ignoring strategy is the most sufficient when incumbent firms respond to new institutional expectations. However, the study indicates that challenging new innovations is a suitable alternative if the innovation is not fully aligned with institutional expectations. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the complex situation of reformulated customer expectations and values while regulations and legal frameworks not yet have adapted to the digitalized business models. Finally, this study discusses two fundamental implications of digitalization; that the advancement of society suffers from slow legal processes, and that customers possess extensive power in shaping organizational fields.