Nested logics and smart meter adoption: Institutional processes and organizational change in the diffusion of smart meters in the United States

Abstract

Using the rollout of smart meters in Washington State as a case study, this paper introduces the concept of “nested” institutional logics to explain how sustainable technology innovation occurs within a heterogeneous organizational field. Marshaling data from fifty-two key informant interviews and extensive document analysis, we analyze the institutional and organizational processes that are driving the deployment of smart meters. Combining work on institutional logics with innovation literature, we argue that nested logics create specific constraints and opportunities that condition the emergence of new organizational forms and behaviors. We discuss the implications of this analysis for energy research and sustainability policy.