Terminating Institutionalized Termination: Why SEMATECH became More than a Temporary System

Gordon Müller-Seitz; Jörg Sydow

doi:10.1108/S0742-3322(2011)0000028010

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Advances in Strategic Management

ISSN: 0742-3322
Series editor(s): Professor Brian Silverman

Subject Area: Strategy

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Terminating Institutionalized Termination: Why SEMATECH became More than a Temporary System

Document Information:
Title:	Terminating Institutionalized Termination: Why SEMATECH became More than a Temporary System
Author(s):	Gordon Müller-Seitz, Jörg Sydow
Volume:	28 Editor(s): Gino Cattani, Simone Ferriani, Lars Frederiksen, Florian Täube ISBN: 978-1-78052-192-3 eISBN: 978-1-78052-193-0
Citation:	Gordon Müller-Seitz, Jörg Sydow (2011), Terminating Institutionalized Termination: Why SEMATECH became More than a Temporary System, in Gino Cattani, Simone Ferriani, Lars Frederiksen, Florian Täube (ed.) Project-Based Organizing and Strategic Management (Advances in Strategic Management, Volume 28), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.147-186
DOI:	10.1108/S0742-3322(2011)0000028010 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Article type:	Chapter Item
Abstract:	Purpose – The aim of this study is to inquire into the circumstances and mechanisms that drive temporary systems to become permanent organizations. Methodology/approach – This study is based on a retrospective longitudinal case study (1980–1995) and informed by research on organizational path dependence. Our research object is SEMATECH, the leading global semiconductor manufacturing consortium. Findings – This longitudinal case study of the research and development consortium SEMATECH shows how and under what conditions a project, once its initial objective had been achieved, managed to turn itself into a permanent organization, that is, it terminated its institutionalized termination. Based on our findings, we argue that the postponing of this specific project's institutionalized termination can be understood by adopting a path dependence perspective that allows for the capturing of self-reinforcing processes to account for the stability of the (once temporary) system. Originality/value of the paper – In this chapter, we question the certainty put forward in organizational studies of projects concerning the ephemeral nature of projects due to their built-in termination mechanism.