IMPRINT PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY: A CASE OF CEOs’ MILITARY EXPERIENCE AND FIRM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEGAL ENGAGEMENTS

Prior studies based on imprinting theory have primarily adopted a static perspective when investigating the influences of imprinting effects on organizational consequences. In this study, we introduce the concept of “imprint phenotypic plasticity” to provide a more dynamic framework to explain variations in imprint manifestations across contexts while prior imprints remain persistent. To demonstrate such a mechanism, we investigate how CEOs’ military imprints generate different implications for firm intellectual property (IP) infringement and litigation orientations and how these imprint implications are then shaped by institutional logics to manifest in organizational outcomes. Drawing on data from 2,513 firms across 29 provinces in China between 2006 and 2021, we find that firms led by ex-military CEOs are less likely to engage in IP infringement and more inclined to initiate IP litigation. These implications are then shaped by the state and Confucian institutional logics. Our study advances the literature by introducing a dynamic perspective on imprinting manifestations and sheds new light on the integration of imprinting and institutional theory.