Social Movements, Institutional Logics and the Emergence of Electric and Hybrid Drive in

This study explores endogenous social and institutional processes through which new technology emerges and follows differential developmental trajectories. Building upon the institutional logic and social movement perspectives, I argue that an institutional logic is a product of actors’ collective social processes and that established logics play a central role in shaping the differential development of new technology. To test my arguments, I explore the social and institutional processes associated with development and contestation of conflicting logics (industrialism vs. environmentalism) and their effects on the evolution of electric and hybrid drive in the electric automotive community from 1969-2009. Empirical findings suggest that environmental protests and economic recessions systematically influence an actor’s incorporation of logics and that the strength of environmental and industrial logics shapes differential developmental trajectories of electric and hybrid drive. This study opens up the “black box ” of technological evolution by addressing where institutional logics come from, how actors respond to new logics and how institutional logics are related to technology development. Moreover, it fills a gap in the literatures between institutional and social movement arguments, which together helps us better understand the complexity of technology development. Key words: social movements; institutional logic; emergence of new technology; automotive technology; electric and hybrid driv