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Organizational Emplacement as a Response to Digital Threat: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores.

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Title: Organizational Emplacement as a Response to Digital Threat: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores.
Authors: Raffaelli, Ryan1 (AUTHOR) rraffaelli@hbs.edu, Noe, Ryann1 (AUTHOR) rnoe@hbs.edu
Source: Administrative Science Quarterly. Sep2025, Vol. 70 Issue 3, p772-820. 49p.
Subject Terms: Organizational response, Independent bookstores, Physical environment, Digital technology, Commodification, Organizational life cycles (Business), Booksellers & bookselling
Company/Entity: Amazon.com Inc.
Abstract: This study reveals how incumbent actors leverage physical place as a source of differentiation in response to the threat of digital commoditization. Through a longitudinal, qualitative analysis of the U.S. independent bookselling industry from 1995 to 2019, we outline how dispersed organizational actors responded to the rise of Amazon.com, an online retailer that threatened to displace brick-and-mortar retail. While many analysts predicted that Amazon's emergence would incite a retail apocalypse, independent bookstores proved to be far more resilient than expected. We identify organizational emplacement—a process by which actors infuse meaning into physical spaces, thereby transforming them into valuable places —as a novel mechanism of value creation. Several practices are associated with this mechanism, including architecting the physical environment, anchoring to the local community, and sanctifying the meaning of place. This study offers a counterbalance to narratives of digital displacement and shows how physical place can be converted from a liability into an asset in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Administrative Science Quarterly is the property of Administrative Science Quarterly and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Organizational Emplacement as a Response to Digital Threat: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Administrative+Science+Quarterly%22">Administrative Science Quarterly</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 70 Issue 3, p772-820. 49p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+response%22">Organizational response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Independent+bookstores%22">Independent bookstores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physical+environment%22">Physical environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Digital+technology%22">Digital technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Commodification%22">Commodification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+life+cycles+%28Business%29%22">Organizational life cycles (Business)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Booksellers+%26+bookselling%22">Booksellers & bookselling</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Amazon%2Ecom+Inc%2E%22">Amazon.com Inc.</searchLink>
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  Data: This study reveals how incumbent actors leverage physical place as a source of differentiation in response to the threat of digital commoditization. Through a longitudinal, qualitative analysis of the U.S. independent bookselling industry from 1995 to 2019, we outline how dispersed organizational actors responded to the rise of Amazon.com, an online retailer that threatened to displace brick-and-mortar retail. While many analysts predicted that Amazon's emergence would incite a retail apocalypse, independent bookstores proved to be far more resilient than expected. We identify organizational emplacement—a process by which actors infuse meaning into physical spaces, thereby transforming them into valuable places —as a novel mechanism of value creation. Several practices are associated with this mechanism, including architecting the physical environment, anchoring to the local community, and sanctifying the meaning of place. This study offers a counterbalance to narratives of digital displacement and shows how physical place can be converted from a liability into an asset in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Administrative Science Quarterly is the property of Administrative Science Quarterly and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/00018392251333696
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 49
        StartPage: 772
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      – SubjectFull: Organizational response
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Independent bookstores
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physical environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Digital technology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Commodification
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Organizational life cycles (Business)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Booksellers & bookselling
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      – SubjectFull: Amazon.com Inc.
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      – TitleFull: Organizational Emplacement as a Response to Digital Threat: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores.
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            NameFull: Raffaelli, Ryan
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            NameFull: Noe, Ryann
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            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: Sep2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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