Emergence of Cloud Computing: An Institutional Innovation Perspective

Today’s global IT service industry is undergoing a collective movement toward cloud computing. This study draws upon the institutional theory to conceptualize the social processes surrounding the emergence of the global cloud computing market. Through a qualitative case study based on archives and interviews with a leading multinational IT service vendor, the research shows that as cloud computing gains increasing legitimacy as a new market category, the vendor develops a portfolio of strategies and leverages a political toolkit to respond to and shape the emergence and evolution of the market.

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