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Lock-in means that a particular technology or product is dominant, not because its inherent cost is low or performance is good, but because it enjoys the benefits of increasing returns to scale. As a result, decision makers are greatly influenced by the dominance (large market share) of a product rather than by their preferences for its inherent properties. The wider system can therefore not easily escape the dominant entity. Increasing returns to scale can be due to a range of demand- and supply-side factors, including positive information and network externalities, economies of scale in production, learning effects and infrastructure availability. The result of lock-in is that decision-makers feel forced to choose for the dominant product, even if their intrinsic preference for it might be low. A famous early example of technical lock-in is the QWERTY keyboard.〔David P. (1985). Clio and the economics of QWERTY. ''American Economic Review, 75, 332-37''〕 The most famous (simple) model to illustrate path-dependence potentially giving rise to lock-in was developed by Arthur (1989).〔Brian Arthur (1989) Competing technologies, increasing returns, and lock-in by historical events, ''The Economic Journal, 99, pp. 116–131.''〕 In deciding about technologies or products decision-makers can become committed to the project before the formal decision to build was taken. The formation of commitment is not necessarily bad, but when commitment turns into lock-in, it has by definition a negative influence on the project performance. Lock-in can occur at the decision-making level or at the project level. There are possibilities to avoid lock-in when decision-makers can be made aware of this phenomenon. However, lock-in can also be used intentionally, in which case, it is much more difficult to prevent and hence manage cost overruns. ==Decision-making process== The decision-making process of large infrastructure projects is marked by the formal decision to build the project. However, there are several possible moments in the decision-making process ''before'' the formal decision is taken at which decision-makers are committed to the project. The extent of which decision-makers are committed to the project is of importance here. ''Early commitment'', commitment to the project before the formal decision to build has been taken, is in itself not necessarily negative. It could be advantageous to the decision-making process as it could enforce a decision. This eventually could limit delay and contribute to the projects' performance. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lock-in (decision-making)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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