scholarly journals Institutional entrepreneurship: collaborative change in a complex Canadian organization

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 284-314
Author(s):  
Michael Opara ◽  
Oliver Nnamdi Okafor ◽  
Akolisa Ufodike ◽  
Kenneth Kalu

PurposeThis study adopts an institutional entrepreneurship perspective in the context of public–private partnerships (P3s) to highlight the role of social actors in enacting institutional change in a complex organizational setting. By studying the actions of two prominent social actors, the authors argue that successful institutional change is the result of dynamic managerial activity supported by political clout, organizational authority and the social positioning of actors.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a field-based case study in a complex institutional and organizational setting in Alberta, Canada. The authors employed an institutional entrepreneurship perspective to identify and analyze the activities of two allied actors motivated to transform the institutional environment for public infrastructure delivery.FindingsThe empirical study suggests that the implementation of institutional change is both individualistic and collaborative. Moreover, it is grounded in everyday organizational practices and activities and involves a coalition of allies invested in enacting lasting change in organizational practice(s), even when maintaining the status quo seems advantageous.Originality/valueThe authors critique the structural explanations that dominate the literature on public–private partnership implementation, which downplays the role of agency and minimizes its interplay with institutional logics in effecting institutional change. Rather, the authors demonstrate that, given the observed impact of social actors, public–private partnership adoption and implementation can be theorized as a social phenomenon.

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-298
Author(s):  
Md. Nazmul Haque ◽  
Mustafa Saroar ◽  
Md. Abdul Fattah ◽  
Syed Riad Morshed

PurposePublic-Private Partnership (PPP) is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. PPP has been an important instrument to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the national level. However, the role of PPP at the subnational level is often scarcely studied. Using Khulna city of Bangladesh as a case, this paper aims to assess the role of PPP projects in the attainment of SDGs.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted in the Central Business District (CBD) of Khulna, on a total of 4.6 kilometers stretches of road medians in the CBD where landscaping was done through the PPP approach. Besides the collection of secondary data from official records, primary data were collected through site visits, field surveys and interviews of PPP project partners.FindingsThe result shows that 89 percent of the respondents (road users) were pleased with the landscaping done on the road medians. Similarly, about 86 percent of the respondents felt more comfortable and safer to use the roads. Well-maintained road medians allow road-crossing at a regular interval which reduces the chance of an accident. The private parties have installed promotional billboards on the road medians and saved BDT 10.82 million a year. The public authority saves the maintenance budget amounting to BDT 23 million a year. The project achieves a triple-win situation. Despite some limitations, this PPP project has taken Khulna a step forward to achieve SDGs.Originality/valueThe findings have policy implications as the PPP project has enhanced the resilience of Khulna by addressing the relevant SDGs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marios Adamou ◽  
Niki Kyriakidou ◽  
Jon Connolly

Purpose Since the 1990s, the National Health Service (NHS)advisory officers have developed considerable expertise in managing the process of specifying, procuring, contracting and running public–private partnership (PPP) projects. However, there has been a relatively consistent trajectory in the findings of studies and evaluation of PPP from its initial introduction in the health sector in 1992 to the present time. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the PPP experience in the UK context using a case study in the NHS. Design/methodology/approach The partnership literature is primarily focussed on process issues, and the impact of partnerships on improving outcomes cannot be assumed. By conducting a critical review on most updated research studies and innovative approaches in this area, the literature as to the place of PPPs in health in the context of the UK is critically explored and whether they have a role in system resilience is examined. A case study has be used as well to describing the processes of a PPP arrangement. Findings Health-care PPP is one of the options relating to health system resilience. However, their contribution in the NHS has been mixed, with success noted in short-term clinical and services contracts while in the long-term the value for money argument has not been proven. In theory, the role of PPPs in bringing together ingredients supporting system resilience such as finance, management and innovation in the UK has not always been successful, and NHS providers have taken the approach to exit such arrangements. Research limitations/implications More research work is needed to capture the 21st-century challenges and critical success factors during its implementation. Practical implications The creation of strong partnerships is moving service delivery away from a project-by-project approach to one that includes strategic and policy developments for long-term results. Originality/value This is a fresh discussion in the role of PPP in system resilience in the UK perspective through a case study describing an exit from a PPP arrangement.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuanwei Cao ◽  
Yipeng Liu ◽  
Chunhui Cao

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of institutional entrepreneurship in opportunity formation and opportunity exploitation in developing emerging strategic new industries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the focal literature focussing on institutional entrepreneurs’ role in opportunity formation with special attention to opportunities for institutional entrepreneurs in emerging economy. A multi-method approach consisting of historical case studies and event sequencing is applied to track the historical development of the solar energy industry in two case contexts and to investigate the role of institutional entrepreneurs in this process. Findings – Investigation of two cases illustrates that different types of institutional entrepreneur, as represented by individual entrepreneurs and local government, in the context of massive institutional change – such as the Grand Western Development Program and the Thousand Talents Program in China – have varied effects on triggering and inducing institutional change and innovation to explore and exploit opportunities in emerging new industries. Practical implications – The significance of local context for the nature and scope of institutional entrepreneurship in emerging economy is worthy of further research. The top-down process of institutional innovation dominated by local government might cause myopic outcome and distortion of market opportunities. Indigenous individual entrepreneurs with well-accumulated political capital and strong perceived responsibility could be the main actors to introduce incremental institutional change by combining bottom-up and top-down processes and promoting sustained new industry development through creating and seizing institutional opportunities and market opportunities. Originality/value – This paper illustrates the close relationship between institutional environment and opportunity formation in emerging economies, contributes to the understanding of contextualizing institutional entrepreneurs in different regional contexts and discloses the problems involved in local government acting as an institutional entrepreneur.


2020 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 13027
Author(s):  
Svetlana Chudnovskaya ◽  
Tatiana Vlasova ◽  
Mikhail Volkov ◽  
Viktoriya Tsvetkova

The relevance of research into institutional aspects of public-private partnership (PPP) is evidenced by the continuously increasing role of research-and-technology, information technology, territorial and socioeconomic factors of influence on the development and implementation of regional PPP projects aimed at improving social welfare and accelerating the rate of socioeconomic development of Russia’s regions. Systemic impact of technical, technological, territorial and socioeconomic factors stipulates the need for the development of institutional environment of PPPs, which implies taking measures for protecting private investments and interests of private investors. This impact also predetermines the necessity to improve the currently existing institutional models of informational-legal base that ensure integration processes of managing PPP projects, with taking into consideration of regional differences and excess investment risks. In this regard, the present paper is aimed at detecting problems of development of PPP’s institutional environment at the regional level. The solution of these problems will allow elaborating models of institutional environment having integrated legal and regulatory framework, transparent and intelligible procedures and standing orders that are necessary when implementing complex socioeconomic projects of public importance for the development of regions. The authors of the paper have defined the role of institutional environment of public-private partnership (PPP) and municipal public-private partnership (MPPP) in the development of a region. The paper provides the results of generalized analysis of factors of development of institutional environment and regulatory-legal framework at the regional level. There were defined problems entailing the performance risks concerning the support of regional projects by public partners and risks of integrated models of interagency interaction at the stages of elaboration, selection and making decisions on implementing PPP and MPPP projects, performing measures of control, maintenance, monitoring and maintaining a register of PPP projects. The results of the research given in the paper are of applied importance for both academicians and practical workers, especially in using the assessments of a development level of institutional environment and legal framework when preparing or implementing projects on improving a region.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadhli Zul Fauzi ◽  
Bevaola Kusumasari

Purpose This paper aims to compare the implementation of public–private partnership (PPP) in Western and non-Western countries by analyzing several predetermined aspects such as government and political system, PPP’s model of agreement, political commitment and the role of PPP supporting unit. Design/methodology/approach This study uses comparative case studies to compare the implementation of PPP in seven Western and non-Western countries by using various appropriate data such as frequently used agreements, government systems, political commitments and PPP-supporting units to understand the extent of differences in the success of PPP implementation found in each country. Findings The results reveal that the implementation of PPPs in Western and non-Western countries do not significantly differ, except for in the instance of political commitments. Political interventions in PPP implementation still frequently occurred in non-Western countries, which consequently disrupted the implementation of PPP itself. Originality/value Previous comparison of PPP studies only focused on the implementation of PPP without analyzing the political context in each country. One of the contributions that this paper will bring to the conversations around PPP is that the implementation of PPP will be analyzed with regard to political contexts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Zhang ◽  
Qian Gao ◽  
Jane V. Wheeler ◽  
Jungsook Kwon

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the role of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between the institutional environment and international performance of Chinese born global firms, a type of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) characterized by the company’s limited resources and its early efforts to internationalize. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on a multi-case analysis of interviews conducted with four chosen born global firms, coupled with public database and Web site searches. Through the use of qualitative methods, propositions were developed. Findings – This paper provides insights regarding how the institutional environment, both formal and informal, has a strong positive relationship with born global firm’s international performance. Moreover, Sun Tzu’s significant strategies play a critical role in the internationalization process of born global firms in emerging markets. Originality/value – Although existing studies discuss the application of Eastern philosophical strategies adopted by firms in emerging markets, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies which evaluates the moderation effect of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between institutional environment and business performance. The paper contributes to scholarly discourse on the influencing factors of born global firm’s internationalization process. It also has practical relevance to international entrepreneurs and SMEs from emerging markets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaisu Koivumäki ◽  
Clare Wilkinson

PurposeThis paper reports on research exploring the intersections between researchers and communication professionals' perspectives on the objectives, funders and organizational influences on their science communication practices.Design/methodology/approachExamining one context, the inter-organizational BCDC Energy Research project based at five different research organizations in Finland, this paper presents data from semi-structured interviews with 17 researchers and 15 communication professionals.FindingsThe results suggest that performance-based funding policies that drive the proliferation of large-scale research projects can create challenges. In particular, a challenge arises in generating a shared sense of identity and purpose amongst researchers and communication professionals. This may have unintended negative impacts on the quality and cohesiveness of the science communication which occurs.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was exploratory in nature and focuses on one organizational and institutional environment. Further research with a wider number of projects, as well as funders, would be conducive to a greater understanding of the issues involved.Practical implicationsOn a practical level, this research suggests that the creation of clearer communications awareness and guidance may be helpful in some large-scale projects, particularly involving broad numbers of organizations, individual researchers and funders.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies examining the perspectives of both researchers and communication professionals working over one project, drawing together a range of different institutional and disciplinary perspectives. The results highlight the importance of the influences of funding on science communication aims, assumptions, cultures and structures. The article articulates the need for further research in this area.


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