Core Rigidities of Knowledge Set in Product Development

Technical Notes on Leonard-Barton (1992)

Abstract

Leonard-Barton (1992) pointed out the existence of core rigidities which located in the reverse side of core capabilities and also suggested four dimensions framework to analyze them. However, subsequent studies seem to regard core rigidities as simply a negative aspect of capabilities, and pay little attention to the framework. This paper intends to review Leonard-Barton (1992). By taking a new perspective on the theoretical importance of core rigidities, this paper also discusses the contribution and limitation of core rigidities.