A Dark Side of Institutional Entrepreneurship: Soccer Balls, Child Labour and Postcolonial Impoverishment

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 1055-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzad R. Khan ◽  
Kamal A. Munir ◽  
Hugh Willmott
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Institutional Reform ◽  
Child Labour ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurship ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Soccer Ball ◽  
Institutional Practice ◽  
Positive Light

Institutional entrepreneurship is typically portrayed in a positive light in the institutional theory literature, frequently symbolizing ideals of progress and innovation. In this paper, we explore a `darker' side of institutional entrepreneurship by considering how the long-standing institutional practice of child labour was eliminated from the world's largest soccer ball manufacturing cluster in Sialkot, Pakistan. Our focus is upon the operation of power rather than the agency of the coalition of entrepreneurs. We show how power operated hegemonically in solving and reporting the issue of child labour in a way that deflected attention from `darker' problematic aspects of this seemingly progressive and benign institutional reform. Consideration of these dynamics presents a challenge to conventional representations of institutional entrepreneurship and suggests the relevance of developing a more critical perspective when studying instances of institutional work.

Can institutional theory be refuted, replaced or modified?

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-159
Author(s):  
Herman Aksom ◽  
Oksana Zhylinska ◽  
Tetiana Gaidai
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurship ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Theories ◽  
Closed Theory ◽  
Dominant Theory ◽  
Blind Spots

Purpose This paper aims to demonstrating that the former new institutional theory of isomorphism and decoupling cannot be extended, modified or refuted as it is a closed theory. By analyzing the structure of this former version of institutional theory and its numerous modern competitors (institutional entrepreneurship, institutional work and institutional logics theories) it is argued that these alternative theories demonstrate even less explanatory and predictive power and do not refute or extend their predecessor. The rise of new organizational theories can have no other effect on classic institutional theory than to limit the domain of its applicability. In turn, there are a number of principles and conditions that future theories should meet to be accepted as progressive advancements. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a review of relevant organizational and philosophical literature on theory construction and scientific progress in organizational research and offers a set of principles and demands for those new theories that seek to challenge new institutionalism. Findings The authors show that the former institutional theory satisfies two main criteria that any scientific theory should conform with following it is useful and falsifiable in term of giving explanations and predictions while, at the same time, clearly specifying what can be observed and what cannot; what can happen and what is not likely to occur. Modern institutional theories cannot demonstrate this quality and they do not satisfy these criteria. Moreover, institutional isomorphism theory is a closed theory, which means it cannot be intervened with changes and modifications and all future theories should develop their theoretical propositions for other domains of applications while they should account for all empirical phenomena that institutional theory successfully explains. Originality/value Adopting instrumental view on organizational theories allowed reconstructing the logic and trajectory of organizational research evolution and defends its rationality and progressive nature. It is also outlined how existing dominant theory should be treated and how new theories should challenge its limitations and blind spots and which philosophical and methodological criteria should be met.

Understanding Mechanics of Smooth Institutional Transformation

2018 ◽  
pp. 49-82
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Change ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Institutional Transformation ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurship ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
The Third

Institutions, similar to other human and social undertakings, emerge and evolve following different social dynamics. The third chapter aims to discover some of the mechanisms behind smooth institutional transformations and the main elements and characteristics of institutional change. The first part makes an overview of the neo-institutional schools and their considerations for institutional change. The second part defines the basic elements of institutional change, including the analysis of exogenous and endogenous processes and characteristics. The third part outlines the agency view of institutional change and proposes an analysis of theoretical concepts of institutional entrepreneurship, institutional work and proto-institutions, the types, processes, and stages of institutional transformation. Based on that, in the discussion part, there is presented a model defining how new technology can affect institutional change combining micro and macro perspective and social actors. Finally, there are analyzed the main criteria for successful transformation of the institutionalization process.

scholarly journals Contextual “Readiness” for Institutional Work. A Study of the Fight Against Corruption in Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Castro ◽  
Shaz Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Car Wash ◽  
Do So

While existing research has explained how actors can disrupt even deeply entrenched practices, we focus on the role of the context in fueling these efforts. To do so, we analyze one of the largest anticorruption operations ever launched in Brazil: the “Lava Jato” (Car Wash Operation) and its antecedents, the contextual enablers of change, and the institutional work of agents involved in this operation. We find that the confluence of jolts, gradual changes in the field, and the cumulating work of purposeful actors were essential for anticorruption actions to gain traction across the country and lead to a breakthrough in the fight against corruption. We develop a model to explain how actors seeking institutional change are contextually empowered, and their efforts yield breakthroughs only at particular points in time when the context is “ripe” for change. Our findings contribute both to institutional theory and the corruption literature.

Moving Institutional Logics Forward: Emotion and Meaningful Material Practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Friedland
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Institutional Practice ◽  
Linguistic Understanding ◽  
Material Practice ◽  
Meaningful Material ◽  
The Individual

Institutional theory, and the institutional logics approach in particular, lacks the feelings that produce, sustain and disrupt institutional practice. This is due in part to rational, instrumental understandings of the individual in practice, and in part to the cognitive and linguistic understanding of that practice, sustained by classification, qualification and belief. Emotion, a joining of language and bodily affect, is ready at hand for institutional theory. There is increasing recognition that emotion is a powerful device for institutionalization and de-institutionalization. In this essay, I consider emotion’s position in institutional theory and how we might position it in an institutional logics approach. I will argue that emotion not only mediates institutions, but can itself be institutional.

Is co-created value the only legitimate value? An institutional-theory perspective on business interaction in B2B-marketing systems

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Massi ◽  
Michel Rod ◽  
Daniela Corsaro
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
B2b Marketing ◽  
Systems Perspective ◽  
Marketing Systems ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Business To Business

Purpose This paper aims to deal with the concepts of “institutions” and “institutional logics” in the context of business-to-business (B2B) marketing systems and uses institutional theory as a framework to look at value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach By integrating the literature on value co-creation, institutional theory and institutional entrepreneurship, the paper argues that the boundaries of B2B marketing systems are continuously reshaped through legitimation processes occurring through actors’ institutional work, thus making co-created value the only legitimate value. Findings The paper proposes a conceptual framework and furthers the conceptual development of value co-creation and augments the literature on service-dominant logic and the notion of co-created value by assuming a legitimacy-based B2B market systems perspective. Practical implications This paper presents a number of propositions that serve to illustrate several managerial implications. These arise from organizations co-creating value by conforming to the various institutional logics that maximize their legitimacy. Originality/value The paper makes a contribution by developing a critical theoretical framework based on the application of institutional theoretical constructs/concepts (e.g. ceremonial conformity, decoupling, considerations of face, confidence and good faith).

scholarly journals Institutional theory and change: the deinstitutionalisation of sports science at Club X

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Gilmore ◽  
John Sillince
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Additional Contribution ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurs ◽  
Competitive Environments

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate how sports science was institutionalised and rapidly deinstitutionalised within a Premier League football club. Institutional theory has been critiqued for its lack of responsiveness to change, but recent developments within institutional theory such as the focus on deinstitutionalisation as an explanation of change, the role of institutional entrepreneurs and the increasing interest in institutional work facilitate exploration of change within institutions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors deploy a longitudinal case study which ran from 2003-2011. Data was collected via observations, semi-structured interviews and through extensive literature reviews. Findings – Via this longitudinal case study, the authors illustrate that the antecedents of deinstitution can lie in the ways by which an institution is established. In doing so, they highlight the paradoxical role potentially played by institutional entrepreneurs in that they can (unwittingly) operate as agents of institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation. Their study suggests that the higher the performance imperative within a field, the more likely the institution as a generic concept will be deinstitutionalised and the more likely to be appropriated and customised in order to gain inimitability and thus competitive advantage. Finally, the authors make an additional contribution by integrating the affective aspects of institutional work to their analyses; stressing the role played by emotions. Research limitations/implications – As with many case studies, the ability to generalise from one case, however detailed, is limited. However, it provides evidence as to the paradoxical role that can be played by institutional entrepreneurs – especially in highly competitive environments. Practical implications – The study suggests that the HR function has a potential role to play with regards to institutional continuity through a focus on leader and institutional entrepreneur succession planning. Originality/value – The paper makes an original contribution by highlighting both institutional and deinstitutional work within a single case. It highlights the paradoxical nature of institutional entrepreneurs in highly competitive environments and illustrates the importance of emotion to institutional maintenance and deinstitution.

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