Dealing with institutional complexity: Public procurement of management consulting services

Abstract

Building on a longitudinal document study and institutional logics theory, this paper seeks to further the understanding for how institutional complexity unfolds over time. As empirical example the public procurement of management consulting services is used. The management consulting industry is described as following a professional logic; emphasizing intangible and subjective qualities such as trust, social skills and creativity, and viewing relational purchasing approaches as legitimate. The public procurement legislation, however, follows the market logic, emphasizing objective and measurable qualities and transactional purchasing approaches. The public contracting agents are thus facing a situation characterized by intense institutional complexity and incompatible demands. By exploring how they discursively construct and evaluate quality in their requests for proposals, the current study identifies a development in how the contracting agents deal with the dilemma; from complying with the market logic...