Unsettled Framing: Institutional Dynamics of Essentially Contested Concepts

Abstract

Framing contests arise when actors dispute the meaning of concepts. Institutional studies have shed light on the manner in which this contestation takes place after the introduction of multi-interpretable concepts. However, extant studies have failed to explain why many ethical, political, and academic debates in contemporary societies are subject to permanent contestation. The protracted academic debate around the terminology and interpretation of the contribution of business to society exemplifies recursive processes of framing, contestation, and reframing. We draw on insights from political theory, in particular, the debate around ‘essentially contested concepts’ (ECCs). We identify three key characteristics of ECCs (normativity, complexity, and commensuration), which contain the seeds of three mechanisms (inherent evangelism, unaccomplished discovery, and epistemic rivalry) that drive actors to engage in permanent framing contests over the ‘right’ or ‘optimal’ interpretation of ECCs. While controversy...