Measuring a scientifically multifaceted concept. The jungle of organizational legitimacy

Abstract

Measuring organizational legitimacy has become a challenge for researchers because they face a multilevel construct, where diverse terminologies, approaches, and evaluators converge. As a consequence, researchers have developed different conceptual proposals that have, in turn, given rise to multiple measurement methodologies, generating some uncertainty among researchers about the best measurement instrument. These methodologies are not generalizable to other contexts, do not integrate the different approaches to assessing legitimacy, nor do they explain their suitability for specific contexts. This paper proposes a general process for measuring organizational legitimacy in any context and across different terminologies, while providing criteria for a justified choice of measurement instrument. The study differentiates between organizational legitimacy measurements based on perceptions and secondary data, as well as between legitimacy as a global or as a dimensions-based judgment. We also present a broader typology of legitimacy dimensions that includes diverse fields of knowledge, avoids overlapping dimensions, and provides concept definitions in order to facilitate understanding by researchers and managers.