Integration of Competing Logics Through Anchoring and Recontextualization

Abstract

Integration of organizational elements from competing institutional logic archetypes can provide tremendous value for society through the hybrid organization. Despite these potential benefits, most work on hybrid integration stops at inclusion of elements within the organization with subsequent isolation or leaves the relationships within and between organizational elements under-explored. Within two social enterprises striving to attain social and financial objectives in the context of resource-poor solar energy markets, we show that integration within the hybrid organization is facilitated through anchoring on a logic archetype, empowerment of the non-anchor logic, and recontextualization of each of the non-anchor elements included. Recontextualization within the anchored organizational configuration enabled using the non-anchor elements in ways that shifted from independent contentious trade-offs to supportive interdependent complements. The emergence and supporting evidence are given along with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications