Organizational Ingenuity and the Paradox of Embedded Agency: The Case of the Embryonic Ontario Solar Energy Industry

Abstract

We examine organizational ingenuity within the paradox of embedded agency where organizational stakeholders are constrained in their behaviors by institutions, yet also influence and change these institutions. In this study organizational ingenuity represents the agency component and institutional constraints the embedded component. We build theory about ingenuity from a four-year case study of the embryonic Ontario solar industry. There were two major institutional constraints, limited grid access and political uncertainty. These led to four ingenuity strategies that emerged at different times and levels of analysis that challenged, complied with, or escaped the constraints. We combine these findings to develop a process model of the emergence of ingenuity in this embryonic industry. Lastly, we find that extending legitimacy to an ingenuity strategy is necessary for its success.

Underdog Entrepreneurs: A Model of Challenge–Based Entrepreneurship

“…Conventional approaches are frequently out of reach of a challenged population, who as a result develop different ways of doing things and also different skills. Indeed, constraints have been found to be an important source of entrepreneurial ingenuity (Lampel, Honig, & Drori, 2014;Walker, Schlosser, & Deephouse, 2014). Dyslexia is often accompanied by certain useful personal attributes, some caused by the condition, and others by adaptation to it.…”

Strategic Management in Hospitals: Tensions between the Managerial and Institutional Lens

“…While strategic management theory assumes the existence of a high degree of human agency, in part of the institutional theory agency emerges, or is constrained or constituted by, environmental (cognitive, normative or legal) forces (Scott, 2001;Walker, Schlosser, & Deephouse, 2014). One way of conciliating these different visions, proposed by Battilana and Leca (2009), is the adoption of a relational vision of human agency.…”

“…Sometimes these studies even identify social actors as authors of themselves, of the organizations with which they are engaged and even of the institutional constraints to with their organizations have to respond (Lawrence et al, 2011;Walker et al, 2014).…”

“…2, e160092, 2017 www.anpad.org.br/bar and instrumentally rational concept of its processes and procedures. It is also centered on technical efficiency as a parameter for evaluation versus a highly adaptive organic pattern in the institutional concept and the adoption of criteria of social legitimacy in the case of institutions (King, 2015;Selznick, 1971;Walker et al, 2014;Zoogah, Peng, & Woldu, 2015). This change is the result of political processes and cognitive processes, even though these may not be consciously prepared (Harmon et al, 2015;Selznick, 1971).…”

Human Resource Development, Creativity and Innovation

“…Others highlight differences in language that hinder interdisciplinary progress. For example, in focusing on creativity, innovation and agility (Walker et al, 2014) in an issue of Organisation Studies, the term 'organisational ingenuity' is used, defined as 'the ability to create innovative solutions within structural constraints using limited resources and imaginative problem-solving', this being defined as complementary to more familiar terminology such as continuous innovation/improvement, and corporate entrepreneurship. Both Amabile and Van-de-Ven are cited in this special issue, which is encouraging for the development of interdisciplinary, multilevel research and frameworks.…”