Institutions as Actants: Translating Meritocracy from American to Indian Business Education

Abstract

American business is deeply influenced by the idea of meritocracy, or a system of providing scarce opportunities and rewards to the worthiest aspirants according to their measurable merit. This is an institution that has deep roots in American history and culture, having been created by, as well as being an influence upon, prominent individuals. As I demonstrate, it was also central to American business education in the 19th century and expanded by philanthropic foundations. In the mid-20th century, the institution of American business meritocracy was translated into the Indian institutional setting by the establishment of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) through the action of the Ford Foundation, the Harvard Business School, and the Sloan School of Management. Using literature on Institutional Translation, as well as elements of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), I aim to improve our understanding of the process of translation of institutions through a deep examination of history and the connection between the networks of actors involved in both India and the United States. I use ANT to develop a new theorization of an institution as a non-corporeal actant that acts upon human actors and is acted upon by them to shed further understanding upon the translation of the institution of meritocracy from American to Indian business education, as well as institutional translation in general.