Imprinting: Toward a Multilevel Theory
CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS∗
Harvard University
ANDRA´ S TILCSIK
University of Toronto
Abstract
The concept of imprinting has attracted considerable interest in numerous
fields—including organizational ecology, institutional theory, network analysis,
and career research—and has been applied at several levels of analysis,
from the industry to the individual. This article offers a critical review of
this rich yet disparate literature and guides research toward a multilevel
theory of imprinting. We start with a definition that captures the general features
of imprinting across levels of analysis but is precise enough to remain
distinct from seemingly similar concepts, such as path dependence and
cohort effects. We then provide a framework to order and unite the splintered
field of imprinting research at different levels of analysis. In doing so, we
identify economic, technological, institutional, and individual influences
that lead to imprints at the level of (a) organizational collectives, (b) single
organizations, (c) organizational building blocks, and (d) individuals. Building
on this framework, we develop a general model that points to major
avenues for future research and charts new directions toward a multilevel
theory of imprinting. This theory provides a distinct lens for organizational
research that takes history seriously.