Isomorphism, Diffusion and Decoupling: Concept Evolution and Theoretical Challenges

Abstract

This chapter traces the evolution of the core theoretical constructs of isomorphism, decoupling and diffusion in organizational institutionalism. We first review the original theoretical formulations of these constructs and then examine their evolution in empirical research conducted over the past four decades. We point to unexamined and challenging aspects of this conceptual evolution, including the causal relationships among these core theoretical constructs. The chapter ends with a discussion of important theoretical frontiers to address in future research. society 36(6): 547-571.

Understanding relationships between public service motivation and involvement in socio‐political organizations: Perspectives of organizational field theory

“…Theorization of public service motivation from the institutional perspective emphasizes that ‘one can consider public service motivated behavior to conform to a logic of appropriateness as it refers to the realization of certain institutional values rather than self‐interest’ (Vandenabeele , p. 548). These institutionalized values can be found in public and nonprofit organizations that provide public services because these organizations allow the translation of accepted public values into actions or, at least, to create some infrastructure that makes this translation possible (see more in Boxenbaum and Jonsson ).…”

“…However, decades of research have shown that the mimicking of values and practices within an organizational field as defined by a service, product, market or technology is not always happening. Despite belonging to the same industry, organizations often follow different institutional logics, demonstrating that organizations in a field defined by that industry could experience multiple, sometimes even incompatible, pressures (Boxenbaum and Jonsson ). Researchers explain the differences by value translations, innovativeness, fashion, etc.…”

What Should SMEs Consider to Introduce Environmentally Innovative Products to Market?

“…According to the argument developed in new-institutional theory, organizations may try to decouple their actual practices from what is institutionally required when they find a gap between the institutionally established ideas and their current efficient activities. That is, an organization may claim to the outside that it abides by the institutional pressure, but actually maintains its existing practices inside [15,19]. As scholars of new-institutional theory point out [16], environmental issues tend to fall in such institutional pressures that organizations cannot easily find an immediate fit for with their existing practices.…”

“…A social network theory regarding knowledge exchanges addresses how SMEs can reach out to external partners from whom they can obtain relevant knowledge for environmental issues [12,18]. Lastly, a new-institutional theory gives insights about how an SME may collaborate with the government, a legitimate stakeholder regarding environmental issues, by describing how a coercive external pressure can be effectively dealt with [15,16,19]. In sum, my hypotheses about SMEs' strategic actions about environment innovation are developed by adopting the theoretical perspectives suggested in the area of organization theory.…”

“…That is, the governmental involvement in the environmental problems over all industries works as a powerful institutional pressure on every company. According to the institutional theory of organizations, the pressure related to environmental issues is often regarded as a coercive pressure to which companies must effectively comply [15,16,19]. To deal with the world-wide consensus, many governments are currently implementing policies to encourage companies, through either regulation or facilitation, to quickly comply with the institutional pressures.…”