Identifying the organizational in NEBIC theory's choosing capability

Abstract

The net-enabled business innovation cycle (NEBIC) was offered by Wheeler (2002) as a subjective understanding of how firms can gain competitive advantage through enabling and emerging technologies (ET). NEBIC consists of four capabilities that lead a firm from choosing ET, to matching ET with business opportunities, executing for growth, and assessing customer value. The first capability of NEBIC is the choosing capability. Using institutional theory and diffusion of innovation theory, the current study offers a theoretically-based conceptualization of the choosing construct. By utilizing a strong theoretical foundation, this conceptualization offers sample hypotheses and empirical indicators for future measurement and instrument development around this important construct.