In and Between Societies: Reconnecting Comparative Institutionalism and Organization Theory

Abstract

Recently, the state and future of organization theory have been widely debated. In this Perspectives issue, we aim to contribute to these debates by suggesting that organizational scholarship may benefit from greater understanding and consideration of societal institutions and their effects on the collective organizing of work. We also illustrate that the literature on comparative institutionalism, a strand of institutional thought with a rich tradition within Organization Studies, provides useful insights into these relations. We highlight several of these insights and briefly introduce the articles collected in the associated Perspectives issue of Organization Studies on comparative institutionalism 1 . We end with a call for greater cross-fertilization between comparative institutionalism and organization theory at large. Keywords comparative institutionalism, organization theory, organization studiesOrganization Studies: An international multidisciplinary journal devoted to the study of organizations, organizing, and the organized in and between societies -The dedication of Organization StudiesIf both research output and critical reflection are necessary requirements for a vibrant academic community, then the field of organization theory is in very good shape. The number of papers submitted to our journals and conferences continues to rise every year, and discussions in a variety of

A geographic relational perspective on the internationalization of emerging market firms

“…As contexts change over time, there are different phases and dimensions in the internationalization process. Accordingly, a spatial dimension of internationalization is associated with the spatial concentration of institutions, policies, and social norms, which affect the mobility of EMFs across regions with different social networks (Hotho & Saka-Helmhout, 2017). For instance, the processes initiated by experienced EMFs may shift local institutions and cultures, leading to the creation of an overseas FDI occurs in historically sequential paths; locations are tied to different sources and mechanisms of dependence A wider geographic scope leads to the change of an EMF's community and a shift in its community and heritages Path dependence is experience-based, cumulative, and reflexive in nature Relationships between different types of organizational identities and adaptation are tied to local and changing territory EMFs within their respective contexts develop over time from historical patterns and processes What processes facilitate and hinder a shift in an EMF's community and heritages?…”

Understanding When MNCs can Overcome Institutional Distance: A Research Agenda

“…There is existing research in IB that acknowledges these more macro aspects of institutional environments, involving a broader logic of how business is typically conducted in a particular environment, and how this may impact MNCs from various countries in distinct ways (Geppert et al 2003;Heidenreich 2012;Hotho and Saka-Helmhout 2017;Hotho 2014;Jackson and Deeg 2008). Furthermore, previous research has begun to tackle the challenge of constructing measures to capture institutional distance from a comparative perspective (Hotho 2009).…”

“…In contrast to these views, there is a growing stream of literature in IB and beyond acknowledging the positive and enabling function of institutions (Ahmadjian 2016;Deeg and Jackson 2007;Hotho and Saka-Helmhout 2017). While the notion of resources in the context of institutional processes is conceptualized typically at the level of the (collective) actor aiming for and driving particular institutional dynamics, and often involves financial and social resources (Battilana et al 2009), institutional settings themselves may offer resources to firms.…”

Twenty-five years of business systems research and lessons for international business studies

“…Whilst it may be difficult to handle large numbers of comparisons by drawing on the holistic approach characteristic of the NBS, as this inhibits the development of statistical models of causality dominant in IB, NBS seeks to avoid becoming simply the idiographic study of particular societies by developing a set of common concepts around types of institutions and business systems. Therefore, this offers a framework helpful to IB in terms of identifying different models of firm organization and how they find places in global markets, and thus drawing on this comparative literature in which organisational studies meet various institutional contexts (Hotho and Saka-Helmhout, 2016). Moreover, IB studies can benefit from the findings of the comparative business systems researches as they present information on firm governance, networking, management, capability and internationalisation in different institutional contexts.…”