Path dependence begins accidentally and turns inefficient only late, unlike escalating commitment

Evidence

There is, however, a major difference between escalating commitment and path dependence explanations. The latter consider a process with a more or less accidental beginning and a longer phase of success; it is only in the final stage that the persistent course of action shifts into inefficiency. In contrast, escalating commitment captures situations where the course of action fails from the very beginning. — Jörg Sydow, Georg Schreyögg, and Jochen Koch, Organizational Path Dependence, 60

Categorization

• DEFINE: Sharply separates two concepts that are routinely conflated in organizational theory.
• XREF: Connects to sunk cost and Lock-in discussions elsewhere in this chapter.