Development in the flat glass industry in Scandinavia, 1910–1990: the impact of technological change

Abstract

Since the 1930s there has been much focusing in research on the effects of technological change in industry and the wider economy. This paper aims to analyze the impact of radical technological change, that is drawn sheet glass and float glass, on the peripheral Scandinavian flat glass industry over the twentieth century. We focus on technological change from the viewpoint of the emergence of a dominant design and its diffusion, and we will apply in our analysis a modified version of the dominant design model proposed by organizational scientists. This model is useful in this case since it includes also the dimension of time. We will make the analysis more comprehensive by taking into account also the markets outside Scandinavia, i.e. in the rest of Europe and North America. This research therefore aims to increase our understanding ofthe impact on industry ofradical technological change.