Competitive dynamics in the standards battle

The standards battle represents a unique form of competitive engagement but little is known about how firms’ competitive actions influence the outcome of the standards battle. To investigate this research question, we develop a framework linking firms and rivals’ collective and non-collective competitive actions to (1) firms’ likelihood of establishing a technology standard and (2) firms’ technological lockout from the competitive market. We find empirical support for our hypothesized relationships based on data from 131 standards battles during the time frame from 1980 through 2006.