The Process of Schema Emergence: Assimilation, Deconstruction, Unitization and the Plurality of Analogies

Schemas are a key concept in strategy and organization theory. While much is known about the value of schemas and their use and structure, direct examination of how new schemas emerge are lacking. Our study of the life insurance industry’s development of the business computer schema from 1945-1975 addresses this gap. We find that schema emergence involves three key processes: (1) assimilation into an existing schema, (2) deconstruction of the existing schema, and (3) unitization of the new schema into a single cognitive unit. Intriguingly, our study also shows that these three processes are shaped by the interplay of multiple analogies over time. More broadly, beyond contributing to the psychological foundations of strategy and organization by setting forth the processes of emergence, these findings have important implications for the process of change and managerial cognition.