The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)
01 Jan 2008-
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them, and describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative.
Abstract: What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.
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Dissertation•
16 Feb 2016
TL;DR: In this article, Öz et al. present a table of acknowledgements for the work of Öz Öz and ÖzÖz Öž Çz.
Abstract: ..................................................................................................iv Öz............................................................................................................v Acknowledgements................................................................................vi Table of
16 citations
Dissertation•
28 Dec 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the field of social enterprises in a Latin American context, with Chile as an example, in the interest of make a contribution to the understanding of both, these socio-economic organisations and their relationship with public policies.
Abstract: Social enterprises are an emerging phenomenon in the Chilean economy and society. They are characterised by their social aims, the adoption of market principle and logics, and their commitment to public interest. Today, the theoretical and analytical frameworks that seek to understand these organisations and their relationship with public policies mainly come from either social economy or for-profit social business schools of thought, thus lacking hybrid approaches. Moreover, such frameworks were mostly developed by researchers from developed countries. This thesis seeks to explore the field of Social Entreprises in a Latin American context, with Chile as an example, in the interest of make a contribution to the understanding of both, these socio-economic organisations and their relationship with public policies. The overall objective of this thesis is to answer the question: In the case of Chile, to what extent and why has the emergence and development of Social Enterprises been favoured by public policies during the last two national governments. The following objectives arise from this question: First, to know which are the distinctive features of Social Enterprises in Chile, and why; second, to explore which were the public policies developed and encouraged by the two national governments that supported Social Enterprises in Chile in their respective periods between 2006 and 2013, and the paradigms that nurtured them; and finally, to understand the implications of the public policies implemented by both governments on these organisations. A qualitative research approach and design were adopted. The research universe was delineated through a three prone approach: Associative, Business and Cooperative (ABC), based on the different legal traditions and single features of these organisations. Then, a research sample was selected to, firstly, differentiate and understand the various types of social enterprises included in the ABC approach, and secondly, explore public policies that concern them and the relationship between the two. These processes were developed through different tools such as semi-structured interviews, exploratory groups and workshops, among others. The main conclusions are, first, that the ABC approach functions as an alternative methodological and analytical tool to delineate, differentiate and understand all Social Enterprises traditions including some for-profit organisations, encompassing the particular historical institutional context of Chile. Second, that this approach contributes to highlight the fact that what unites Social Enterprises in Chile is stronger than what divides them; therefore, if public policies reinforce their convergence paths and respect what differentiates them, the ABC could become a human-centred approach to Social Enterprises. Third, the emergent and diverse mechanisms of incidence in public policies of Social Enterprises in Chile are not given by direct public policies, but rather by the paradigm of entrepreneurship and innovation that characterised the government of Sebastian Pinera. And finally, Social Enterprises, particularly type B ones, show a unique ability to innovate and influence public policies and foster cross-sector collaboration, which transforms them into key actors in the co-construction of more developmental public policies.
16 citations
25 Jun 2008
TL;DR: This study examined how two urban school districts trained their own teachers through partnerships with urban teacher residencies—alternative teacher preparation and certification programs based on year-long, in-class apprenticeships with mentor teachers.
Abstract: This study examined how two urban school districts, Chicago and Boston, trained their own teachers through partnerships with urban teacher residencies—alternative teacher preparation and certification programs based on year-long, in-class apprenticeships with mentor teachers. This “home grown teacher” reform was implemented in response to high rates of new teacher turnover. District and residency leaders attributed this problem to the inadequate preparation new teachers received in traditional college and university teacher education programs. The study asked three questions: How do the districts in Chicago and Boston partner with urban teacher residencies? What do the reformers mean by “teacher quality”? and Why do the districtresidency partnerships in Chicago and Boston construct dispositions of teacher quality differently? Proceeding from a conceptual framework that embedded the urban district in a mayorally-controlled urban regime, activated through civic capacity and motivated by resource dependence, the study used a two-site, holistic case study method (Yin, 2003). Qualitative data included interviews with 28 participants, district and residency documents, media reports, and researcher field notes and memos. Data analysis techniques were drawn from case study and grounded theory traditions and were assisted by NVivo7, a qualitative research software program. One set of findings described how the districts partnered with the residencies and identified contractual bridging and proxy control in Chicago and collaborative bridging and civic control in Boston. Another set of findings described how and why the district-residency partnerships constructed varying meanings of teacher quality. The study contributed findings to the research literature on district reform, urban regime analysis, and organizational theory.
16 citations
24 Jul 2019
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a set of all legally binding treaties for the universe of regional economic institutions as defined in the data paper, which includes all multilateral, multi-issue regional organizations that have at least one or more legally binding treaty.
Abstract: Data Overview Data set consists of all legally binding treaties for the universe of regional economic institutions as defined in the data paper. The universe of regional economic institutions includes all multilateral, multi-issue regional organizations that have at least one or more legally binding treaty. Each legally binding treaty is coded on a variety of dimensions as given by the coding sheets. The basic data are contained in the coding sheets for each treaty. Treaties are almost always available by themselves. Treaty language is not always English: often the language of the REI is adopted (e.g. Spanich, French, etc.), for the post-Soviet REIs they are almost all in Russian.
16 citations
24 Mar 2020
TL;DR: A holistic model of project level collaboration was developed that placed factors from Human Psychology and Culture (HPC suggestions on the way industry could enable better collaboration and more efficient implementation of digitalisation.
Abstract: The Architectural-Engineering-Construction (AEC) industry is currently undergoing changes in digitalisation aimed at improving the information development and transfer between stakeholders. The changes in delivery required for digitalisation e.g., implementation of Building Information Management (BIM), is systemic. Barriers to implementing BIM and several project success factors are human centred. In the construction management, less importance is given to integrated processes and collaborating people when compared to the technical aspects. According to scholars, academic knowledge regarding factors affecting collaborating people is fragmented. Additionally, there is a difference between academic knowledge and the actual needs of practice. The aim of this research is to understand the factors affecting project level collaboration and effective digitalisation by application of theory and reflection on knowledge interpreted from practitioner experience. By adopting a holistic perspective of reality, the thesis raises some core issues about AEC industry practice. The thesis therefore asks the question; What could enable efficient project level collaboration and implementation of digitalisation in the AEC industry? The ‘CIFE Horseshoe Framework’ was used to guide the multi-disciplinary research approach. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews with a Project Management (PM) firm in Finland and focus groups with AEC firms in Norway. The analysis of the data was validated with five expert semi-structured interviews from the UK to ensure that the interpretation of data was consistent with industry practice. Thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse and report patterns within qualitative data. The research combines approaches and knowledge from psychology, complexity science, sociology and business to induce understanding of current collaborative practice. A holistic model of project level collaboration was developed that placed factors from Human Psychology and Culture (HPC suggestions on the way industry could enable better collaboration and more efficient implementation of digitalisation. The holistic understanding also enabled the combination of multiple influences on practitioner motivation from their organisation, the client, project social climate and standard contracts. In conclusion, knowledge from actual practice has been interpreted to induce a holistic model of project collaborative practice. It shows that changes in practice (e.g., driven from digitalisation) must consider the social and psychological capability and expectations of people. Furthermore, the developed model provides a way to bring together multiple concepts in a structured manner by connecting various concepts representing reality, that appear fragmented in academic literature.
15 citations
References
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TL;DR: This article synthesize the large but diverse literature on organizational legitimacy, highlighting similarities and disparities among the leading strategic and institutional approaches, and identify three primary forms of legitimacy: pragmatic, based on audience self-interest; moral, based upon normative approval; and cognitive, according to comprehensibility and taken-for-grantedness.
Abstract: This article synthesizes the large but diverse literature on organizational legitimacy, highlighting similarities and disparities among the leading strategic and institutional approaches. The analysis identifies three primary forms of legitimacy: pragmatic, based on audience self-interest; moral, based on normative approval: and cognitive, based on comprehensibility and taken-for-grantedness. The article then examines strategies for gaining, maintaining, and repairing legitimacy of each type, suggesting both the promises and the pitfalls of such instrumental manipulations.
13,229 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a theory of stakeholder identification and saliency based on stakeholders possessing one or more of three relationship attributes (power, legitimacy, and urgency) is proposed, and a typology of stakeholders, propositions concerning their saliency to managers of the firm, and research and management implications.
Abstract: Stakeholder theory has been a popular heuristic for describing the management environment for years, but it has not attained full theoretical status. Our aim in this article is to contribute to a theory of stakeholder identification and salience based on stakeholders possessing one or more of three relationship attributes: power, legitimacy, and urgency. By combining these attributes, we generate a typology of stakeholders, propositions concerning their salience to managers of the firm, and research and management implications.
10,630 citations
TL;DR: The authors applied the convergent insights of institutional and resource dependence perspectives to the prediction of strategic responses to institutional processes, and proposed a typology of strategies that vary in active organizational resistance from passive conformity to proactive manipulation.
Abstract: This article applies the convergent insights of institutional and resource dependence perspectives to the prediction of strategic responses to institutional processes. The article offers a typology of strategic responses that vary in active organizational resistance from passive conformity to proactive manipulation. Ten institutional factors are hypothesized to predict the occurrence of the alternative proposed strategies and the degree of organizational conformity or resistance to institutional pressures.
7,595 citations
TL;DR: This article conducted a meta-analysis of 52 studies and found that corporate virtue in the form of social responsibility and, to a lesser extent, environmental responsibility is likely to pay off, although the operationalizations of CSP and CFP also moderate the positive association.
Abstract: Most theorizing on the relationship between corporate social/environmental performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) assumes that the current evidence is too fractured or too variable to draw any generalizable conclusions. With this integrative, quantitative study, we intend to show that the mainstream claim that we have little generalizable knowledge about CSP and CFP is built on shaky grounds. Providing a methodologically more rigorous review than previous efforts, we conduct a meta-analysis of 52 studies (which represent the population of prior quantitative inquiry) yielding a total sample size of 33,878 observations. The meta-analytic findings suggest that corporate virtue in the form of social responsibility and, to a lesser extent, environmental responsibility is likely to pay off, although the operationalizations of CSP and CFP also moderate the positive association. For example, CSP appears to be more highly correlated with accounting-based measures of CFP than with market-based ...
6,493 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider structural inertia in organizational populations as an outcome of an ecological-evolutionary process and define structural inertia as a correspondence between a class of organizations and their environments.
Abstract: Considers structural inertia in organizational populations as an outcome of an ecological-evolutionary process. Structural inertia is considered to be a consequence of selection as opposed to a precondition. The focus of this analysis is on the timing of organizational change. Structural inertia is defined to be a correspondence between a class of organizations and their environments. Reliably producing collective action and accounting rationally for their activities are identified as important organizational competencies. This reliability and accountability are achieved when the organization has the capacity to reproduce structure with high fidelity. Organizations are composed of various hierarchical layers that vary in their ability to respond and change. Organizational goals, forms of authority, core technology, and marketing strategy are the four organizational properties used to classify organizations in the proposed theory. Older organizations are found to have more inertia than younger ones. The effect of size on inertia is more difficult to determine. The variance in inertia with respect to the complexity of organizational arrangements is also explored. (SRD)
6,425 citations