Punctuated Equilibrium and Knowledge Flow: Toward a New Understanding of Technological Change

Abstract

This paper aims to enrich our understanding of punctuated equilibrium in technological change, which argues that technology evolves through a relatively long period of stability and continuity that is interrupted and punctuated by a relatively short burst of discontinuous, radical change. Most past literature has paid little attention to the embedded knowledge flow in technological change. To address this gap, a conceptual framework is exhibited to summarize our idea. The key-route main path analysis approach is used to construct the knowledge flow in punctuated equilibrium. Empirically, the thermal inkjet printhead is chosen as the research target, and patent data from USPTO were collected and used. We found that thermal inkjet printheads experienced three distinct phases of technological continuities, each of which is a cyclic divergent-convergent knowledge flow initiated by a breakthrough centering around a significant, prioritized technical problem. One knowledge cycle is to shape a distinct knowledge...