Why organizations voluntarily report – institutional theory and institutional work

2017 ◽  
pp. 36-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal Farooq ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Institutional Work

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.

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.

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.

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.

scholarly journals Institutional Pressures, Institutional Work and the Development of Universities' Entrepreneurial Turn

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-133
Author(s):  
Juliana Marangoni Amarante ◽  
João Marcelo Crubellate
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Triple Helix ◽  
The State ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Based on Institutional Theory, in this theoretical essay we aimed to create a model that could explain the development of the entrepreneurial turn of universities. As a result, we suggest the following theoretical proposition: universities' entrepreneurial turn is contingent on institutional work and may be understood as a result of a confluence of inward and outward forces that are shaped through a historical and recursive interplay between regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive pressures, conjointly derived from each actor of the Triple Helix, that is, the state, the industry - or society in a broader sense - and academia. Our main theoretical contributions consist of : (a) placing the universities' entrepreneurial turn at the epicenter of all the competing institutional pressures and logic when it comes to innovation creation; (b) characterizing the universities' entrepreneurial turn as a result of the recursive interplay between regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive pressures, conjointly derived from each actor of the Triple Helix; and (c) stressing the fundamental role of the institutional work performed by institutional entrepreneurs in the process of developing the universities' entrepreneurial turn.

scholarly journals Micro-Institutional Affordances and Strategies of Radical Innovation

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 1485-1513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan van Dijk ◽  
Hans Berends ◽  
Mariann Jelinek ◽  
A. Georges L. Romme ◽  
Mathieu Weggeman
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Radical Innovation ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
Strategic Responses ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Institutional Stability ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
Established Firms

Institutional theory emphasizes the institutional constraints that render radical innovations illegitimate, but fails to explain how such innovations might succeed. Adopting a micro-institutional perspective, this paper addresses why and how embedded agency may overcome legitimacy crises within established systems. Drawing on a sample of 20 legitimacy problems identified in five radical innovation trajectories at two mature companies, we develop an empirically grounded theory of the institutional work through which proponents legitimize radical innovations within established firms. This theory describes a variety of micro-institutional affordances that enable different strategic responses to legitimacy crises. We thus extend institutional theory by explaining embedded agents’ use of a range of options to pursue radical innovation, providing a robust explanation of both institutional stability and radical change.

scholarly journals EXPRESS: Institutionalizing diversity and inclusion engaged marketing (DIEM) for multicultural marketplace wellbeing

2020 ◽  
pp. 074391562097541
Author(s):  
Eva Kipnis ◽  
Catherine Demangeot ◽  
Chris Pullig ◽  
Samantha N.N. Cross ◽  
Charles C. Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Shared Meanings ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Normative Factors ◽  
Theory Framework

Within an institutional theory framework, this paper identifies three interconnected fields of the marketing institution – research, education, and practice – that contribute to advancing the diversity and inclusion discourse in promoting multicultural marketplace wellbeing. Conducting three studies, one in each field and across contexts in three continents, we identify barriers that inhibit effective implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives in today’s multicultural marketplaces. These barriers exist within and across fields and pertain to cultural-cognitive (shared meanings), normative (normative factors), and regulatory (rules and systems) pillars supporting the existence or transformation of institutions. From our research findings, we provide specific guidance for institutional work within marketing’s fields and policy developments needed to advance diversity and inclusion engaged marketing (DIEM) for enhancing multicultural marketplace wellbeing.

Institutional Logics, Gender, and Advertising Within a Culture in Transition: Examining Strategies of Advertising Professionals in Turkey for Managing Institutional Complexity

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 510-527
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Coleman ◽  
Linda Tuncay Zayer ◽  
Özlem Hesapci Karaca
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Consumer Welfare ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Institutional Complexity ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
East West

Advertisers face longstanding challenges—perhaps more acute under shifting cultural and gender forces such as the global #metoo movement—in creating gendered messages. This research builds on work at the intersection of gender, advertising and institutions, which bridges macro and micro issues faced by advertising professionals, to explore the unique East-West context of Turkey. Using institutional theory as a lens to examine a context in transition, this research illustrates how macro forces permeate four logics from which advertising professionals draw, specifically logics of: gender roles, power, duality, and risk. It further identifies strategies that advertising professionals utilize to manage increasing institutional complexity when creating gendered messages amidst competing logics. This study contributes to an understanding of how advertising professionals engage in institutional work within broader macro realities and the impact this has on the creation of gendered messages in society. Implications for consumer welfare, particularly regarding gender relations, are offered.

scholarly journals Institutional work and infrastructure public–private partnerships (PPPs): the roles of religious symbolic work and power in implementing PPP projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 1077-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhamed Biygautane ◽  
Stewart Clegg ◽  
Khalid Al-Yahya
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
System Integration ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Organizational Fields ◽  
Repair Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeExisting public–private partnership (PPP) literature that explicitly adopts neo-institutional theory, tends to elucidate the impact of isomorphic pressures and organizational fields and structuration on PPP projects. This paper advances this literature by presenting the institutional work and micro-level dynamics through which actors initiate and implement a new form of project delivery. The authors show how actors enact responses to institutional structuration in the expansion and transformation of an airport from a public entity into a PPP in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a single case study design that offers an empirically rich and thick description of events such as the dynamic processes, practices and types of institutional work carried out by actors and organizations to deliver the project under investigation.FindingsReligious symbolic work as social integration triggered system integration work, which expanded the power capabilities of individual actors leading the project. Repair work then followed to alleviate the negative effects of disempowering the agency of actors negatively affected by the PPP model and to streamline the project implementation process.Practical implicationsThis research offers several practical implications. For PPPs to operate successfully in contexts similar to the Gulf region, policymakers should provide strong political support and be willing to bear a considerable risk of losses or minimal outcomes during the early phases of experimentation with PPPs. Also, policymakers should not only focus their attention on technical requirements of PPPs but also associate new meanings with the normative and cultural-cognitive elements that are integral to the success of PPP implementation. In order to design strategies for change that are designed to fit the unique cultural and sociopolitical settings of each country, policymakers should empower capable individual actors and provide them with resources and access to power, which will enable them to enforce changes that diverge from institutionalized practices.Social implicationsThis research connected the PPP literature with theoretical frameworks drawn from neo-institutional theory and power. It would be valuable for further research, however, to connect ideas from the PPP literature with other disciplines such as psychology and social entrepreneurship. PPP research examines a recent phenomenon that can potentially be combined with non-traditional streams of research in analyzing projects. Expanding the realm of PPP research beyond traditional theoretical boundaries could potentially yield exciting insights into how the overall institutional and psychological environments surrounding projects affect their initiation and implementation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes new insights regarding the roles of religious symbolic work, allied with social and system integration of power relations in implementing PPP projects. It suggests a theoretical shift from structures and organizational fields – macro- and meso-levels of analysis – to individuals – micro-level – as triggers of new forms of project delivery that break with the status quo.

scholarly journals Performative Work: Bridging Performativity and Institutional Theory in the Responsible Investment Field

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Beunza ◽  
Fabrizio Ferraro
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Political Context ◽  
Financial Data ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Initial Attempt ◽  
Responsible Investment ◽  
Economic Theories ◽  
Organizational Norms

Callon’s performativity thesis has illuminated how economic theories and calculative devices shape markets, but has been challenged for its neglect of the organizational, institutional and political context. Our seven-year qualitative study of a large financial data company found that the company’s initial attempt to change the responsible investment field through a performative approach failed because of the constraints posed by field practices and organizational norms on the design of the calculative device. However, the company was subsequently able to put in place another form of performativity by attending to the normative and regulative associations of the device. We theorize this route to performativity by proposing the concept of performative work, which designates the necessary institutional work to enable translation and the subsequent adoption of the device. We conclude by considering the implications of performative work for the performativity and the institutional work literatures.

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