The birth of an industry represents a period of both opportunity and uncertainty. Frequently, the success of an infant industry depends on how quickly participants recognize that they are engaged in a common enterprise. Once businesses become aware of their similarities, they can begin to develop generally-accepted role structures and consensual normative outlooks. As such behavioral models spread, the industry comes to look less like a random collection of unrelated organizations and more like a true community. This doctoral dissertation will investigate the role of law firms and venture capital funds in the development of high- technology industries in Silicon Valley from 1975 to 1990. Focusing on how entrepreneurs, lawyers and venture capitalists formulated solutions to recurrent business problems, and how such guidelines shaped the Valley's distinctive business style and strategic outlook, a series of semi-structured interviews with lawyers, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who were active in Silicon Valley during these formative years will be conducted. Also, a set of quantitative analyses examining the effects of various law firms and venture capitalists on the propagation of organizational structures and strategies during this period will be performed. This project integrates theories from the sociology of organizations and the sociology of law in order to arrive at a better understanding of the role of corporate lawyers in such emerging organizational communities. Silicon Valley offers a rare opportunity to examine the mechanics of organizational birth and community development and to link these to the activities of concrete entities struggling to survive in a turbulent environment. This project also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising young scholar to continue to develop independent research skills.
