Catch-up and Beyond Catch-up in the Context of Windows of Opportunity: Theoretical Origins and Research advances

Abstract

With the rapid transformation of global technology and industry, as well as the development of economic globalization, analyzing how latecomers catch up with incumbents has become a unique perspective for scholars to observe the growth of latecomer nations or firms. The concept of windows of opportunity integrates multi-level contextual factors such as technology, market, and institutions, serving as an important theoretical foundation for understanding the successful catch-up of latecomer countries or firms. In recent years, research on windows of opportunity in the context of latecomer catch-up has attracted widespread attention. Based on a review of relevant international literature, this paper examines the theoretical origins and logical structure of the windows of opportunity by focusing on four key aspects: the connotation and influencing factors of catch-up and leapfrogging, theoretical origins and typological expansion of the windows of opportunity, windows of opportunity-driven catch-up cycle and strategic pathways, and strategic action system of latecomer firms in responding to windows of opportunity. Building on an analysis of the shortcomings of existing research, it proposes future research directions concerning the impact of sustainable development and the green economic paradigm shift, solutions for the "standardization gap" encountered in latecomer catch-up, the practice of latecomer catch-up in the Chinese context, and the expansion of the theoretical framework and research methods related to the window of opportunity.