System-level agency and its many shades: path development in a multidimensional innovation system

Abstract

In the path development literature, how agents shape innovation systems has attracted growing interest. However, the concept of such system-level agency suffers from an unclear distinction from other levels of agency, underdeveloped links to other agency concepts, vagueness about the conceptualization of a multidimensional innovation system and the impact of agency on it, and a limited understanding of the variegated outcomes of agentic processes. This article offers a sympathetic critique, suggests ideas for a nuanced multilevel agency conceptualization, and proposes a research agenda to close the gaps in understanding how system-level agency affects the course and outcomes of path development.