Isomorphic Pressures Research Articles

Impacts of Isomorphic Pressures on BIM Adoption in Construction Projects

AbstractDrawing on institutional theory, this study examines how three types of isomorphic pressures (i.e., coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures) impact building information modeling (BIM) adoption activities in construction projects. The effects of these pressures are empirically tested with survey data collected from 92 construction projects in China. The results from partial least squares analyses indicate that coercive and mimetic pressures both significantly influence the extent of project-level BIM adoption. However, this study does not find support for a significant influence of normative pressures. The results further indicate that client/owner support plays a crucial but varied mediating role in the influences of these different isomorphic pressures. This study reinforces the need to regard project BIM adoption as a complexly socialized activity that is not only motivated by participants’ rational needs to proactively address internal process problems, but also driven by external isomorphic...

Institutional embeddedness renewal or overembeddedness

Purpose – Viewing business groups as institutionally embedded agents, the purpose of this paper is to theoretically addresses the distinctions between institutional embeddedness renewal and overembeddedness, and empirically analyzes the proposed effecting mechanisms in the context of China. Design/methodology/approach – The paper predicts the specific performance effects accompanying the collective and local processes governing systematic institutional embeddedness phenomena, and examine the proposed hypotheses using a real experimental setting of Chinese business groups during the period of enterprise reform and stock market liberalization, employing data on 38 business groups in the textile industry from 2000 to 2008. Findings – The results of the econometric analysis support an optimistic view that business groups can strategically renew their embeddedness even in the late stages of market-oriented institutional transition as in China. Specifically: first, the positive effect of the self-enhancing isomorphic pressure around both the new and the old institutions implies the relative dominance of systematic institutional embeddedness renewal within business group communities; second, at the local level, institutional strategies promoting the market orientation of adopted organizational forms bring about not only positive but also negative effects, suggesting the need to manage a simultaneous significant risk of overembeddedness. Originality/value – The paper establishes an institutional strategy framework to predict potential effects associated with systematic institutional embeddedness phenomena, such as institutional embeddedness renewal and overembeddedness, in the context of market-oriented institutional transition.

The impact of meta-standardization upon standards convergence: the case of the international accounting standard for off-balance-sheet financing

Analyses of transnational governance formation point to the destabilizing effects transnational standard setters have upon national institutional configurations. Isomorphic pressures, it is argued, lead to the standardization of procedures used and actors involved in standard setting processes. What is not clear, however, is to what extent this meta-standardization increases the chances for convergence of national with transnational standards. This article explores this question for the case of the international accounting standard for off-balance-sheet financing in the Netherlands, France and Germany. It argues that the reconfiguration of domestic governance architectures had a decisive impact on convergence processes. Counter-intuitively, copying goals, membership and procedures of the transnational, private International Accounting Standards Committee limited the chances of rule convergence, as it threatened to deinstitutionalize the standard-setting role of an important national champion of rule-convergence, the banking regulator. The institutional template developed at the transnational level created actor-mismatch at the national level between those formulating and those implementing the rules, thereby weakening the coalition for rule change. A strong coalition, however, is needed to overcome vested business interests that favor convergence with transnational templates for legitimacy gains at the same time that they oppose convergence to contentious rules that limit their business activities.

The 'Stuff' of Markets: An Institutional Analysis of Impact Investing

In this paper I explore processes of market building and emergence, an under-theorised area in organizational studies, with a particular focus on contemporary organizational and societal settings. I do this by taking a markets-as-fields approach, seeking to understand how institutional ordering and isomorphic pressures may develop in early stage settings involving disparate actors. I accomplish this by examining the empirical setting of ‘impact investing’, a new and growing global capital market, addressing recent attempts by the Australian Government to construct such a national social finance market. My findings demonstrate the importance of institutional theory being attentive to materiality in these early stage settings, beyond categories and social skills of actors, in theorising how materials are used to create shared meaning, collective and specific identities as well as to translate and form boundaries. Materials matter for the coordination and structuring of fields and thus markets

Breaking away: Strategic action in the face of countervailing norms and contagion

A foundational question across the strategic management literature is what drives firms to be similar or different from one another. For example, research on firm actions in the face of uncertainty finds that such contexts can induce firms to engage in imitative behaviors. Existing work in this area provides important insights, however, we argue that since the foundational explanation for much imitative behavior is based upon responses to uncertainty, it is important to also consider a firm’s fundamental orientation towards uncertainty in explaining such behavior. In this study, we draw on key insights from the entrepreneurship literature to examine how the firm’s orientation towards uncertainty (i.e., its willingness to bear uncertainty and its perceived ability to manage uncertainty through related experience) affects strategic action that goes against competitive norms and attenuates contagion pressure. We test our model using data from 1990-2010 on the highly uncertain decision of US VCs firms to internationalize for the first time. Our findings inform our understanding of isomorphic pressures by identifying specific factors that retard them. We also discuss implications for theory related to how these actions can be useful in illuminating future firm competitive heterogeneity and for theory related to internationalization.

Linking Organizations in Communities: Actively Shaping Organizational Behavior

A growing body of work in the institutional theory tradition draws attention to the community level and its role in shaping organizational behavior. We contribute to this literature by examining how linking organizations, or local connecting social institutions, influence organizations in communities, including the interplay of multiple levels of analysis and the three pillars of institutional pressure: regulatory, social-normative, and cultural- cognitive. We use qualitative data collected over a two year timeframe to examine the behavior of a community wellness foundation, as a linking organization, that connects five neighboring community coalitions charged with creating wellness plans for their respective towns. We find that linking organizations may provide active facilitation to foster connections and highlight particular norms and activities. Further, we suggest that linking organizations may impose regulatory pressures that lead to homogeneity within the population, as they require connected organizations to adhere to certain processes and practices to earn benefits. Finally, we find that even in the presence of these strong normative and regulative isomorphic pressures, heterogeneity remains. We posit that this heterogeneity is driven by local cognitive pressures.

The trend of sustainability reporting in Italy: some evidence from the last decade

This study analyses the evolution of sustainability reporting in Italian listed companies taking into account some differences between 2002 and 2011 reporting practices. The analysis is aimed at showing the presence of normative and mimetic isomorphic pressures towards sustainability reporting and the use of GRI guidelines, and also at highlighting the presence of an improvement in reporting practices. The research adopts a common framework of report characteristics to compare practices in two different periods, while content analysis is used to classify the purposes of sustainability reporting and to measure the relevance of different categories of stakeholder, in terms of space occupied in the report. The analysis shows that sustainability reporting in Italian listed companies has increased between 2002 and 2012, and has been associated with the increase in the use of GRI guidelines. Data also show a general enhancement in the practices of reporting, measured on three main areas: improvement in the reports, better embedding of reporting into management practices and enhancement of accessibility, communication and stakeholder considerations.

Re-Examining Isomorphic Pressure For MNCs: Evidence from Germany

Although “isomorphism” has been one of the key tenets of theory, its applicability to the MNC setting has been challenged recently. The challenges are based on the assumption that there is limited institutional isomorphism in MNCs, and MNCs do not gain legitimacy through isomorphism (Kostova at al. 2008). The overarching objective of this study is to answer the research question “Do foreign subsidiaries become isomorphic to local practices due to constraints imposed upon them by institutional pressures?” Utilizing regulatory change as a quasi-experimental condition, this study examined the differences in the adoption behavior of foreign firms and West German firms to determine if foreign firms are indeed under institutional pressure to become isomorphic to West German firms, or if institutional pressure for foreign firms is primarily limited to regulatory pressure. Consistent with current challenges to applicability of isomorphism in the MNC settings, this study found that foreign subsidiaries do not become isomorphic to local practices and that institutional pressure for foreign subsidiaries is primarily limited to regulatory pressure. This research finding shows that foreign firms do have institutional freedom to choose which practices to adopt and do not become isomorphic to local practices because of institutional pressures for legitimacy.

O Isomorfismo na Educação Ambiental como Tema Transversal em Programas de Graduação em Administração

A Política Nacional de Educação Ambiental determina a inclusão da Educação Ambiental em todos os níveis do ensino de modo transversal e contínuo, vedando sua utilização como disciplina específica. O referencial teórico está assentado no isomorfismo aplicado ao tema da transversalidade em Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES), buscando identificar os mecanismos que as impulsionam a mudar de comportamento frente a essa regulamentação, desvendando quais forças promovem a incorporação da educação ambiental na grade da graduação em Administração, como tema transversal. A metodologia utilizada é quantitativo-qualitativa e utiliza um estudo multicaso junto a quatro IES, com Graduação em Administração. Conclui-se que pressão isomórfica coercitiva, por parte da sociedade, e normativa, ligada à atuação profissional, são as que mais contribuem para a institucionalização da educação ambiental na grade curricular. As demandas sociais para formação do administrador com conhecimentos ambientais é o fator mais forte neste processo.

Defying isomorphism in foreign-location choice: The role of business group-level international experience in Korean MNCs

This study contributes to our understanding of how institutions shape the internationalization processes of Asian multinational corporations (MNCs). I explore how business-group affiliation affects the ability of MNCs to escape isomorphic pressures in overseas location choices. From a sample of Korean MNCs, I find that this ability increases with the levels of firm-specific advantages and international experience held by the respective MNC and that international experience within the same business group of the MNC also mediates this ability. This article contributes to the institution-based view of international strategy and business by identifying mechanism through which business-group affiliation, a common characteristic of Asian business systems, affects MNC decision making.

An Examination into the Disclosure, Structure, and Contents of Ethical Codes in Publicly Listed Acquiring Firms

Due to the prevalent influence of legal trends in driving ethical homogenization and persistent decoupling between ethical substance and symbolism in today’s organizations, scholars are calling for a renewed interest in the structural makeup of ethical codes. This article explores the disclosure trends and examines the contents of codes of ethics in the context of Canadian publicly listed acquirers. Relying on the analysis of codes’ public availability, structure, purpose, and promoted values, four clusters of behavior are identified. Although many firms avoid the public disclosure of their codes, the results indicate that code of ethics’ patterns in sample firms are not driven merely by regulatory forces but increasingly shaped by aspirations for building a sustainable values-based corporation. The reported differences across clusters demonstrate that many companies in Canada overcome isomorphic pressures by displaying some originality in the writing of their codes. While symbolism in codes of ethics’ design and adoption prevails in publicly listed acquiring firms, the study provides evidence of an emerging trend of substantial commitment to social responsibilities.

The effect of institutional isomorphic pressure on the internationalization of firms in an emerging economy: evidence from China

This study uses institutional theory to explore the driving force for internationalization of firms in emerging economies. It posits that the internationalization practices of firms are driven not only by efficiency consideration, but also by the desire to conform to institutional isomorphic pressures exerted by the social environment. The impact of three types of institutional isomorphic pressures – coercive pressure, mimetic pressure and normative pressure – on the intensity of internationalization is investigated. Analysis using survey data collected from 174 Chinese firms shows that all three institutional pressures have positive and significant effects on the intensity of internationalization. We also examine the interaction between institutional pressure and firm capability. Results suggest that firm capabilities enhance the effect of coercive pressure on internationalization, and weaken the effect of normative pressure on internationalization.

What Explains a Lack of Local State-NGO Collaboration? A Neo-Institutional Perspective

This article suggests that a lack of meaningful collaboration between the state and NGOs in China is not solely a result of the state seeking to restrict the development of the sector, or fear of a potential opposing actor to the state. Instead, interviews with NGOs in Beijing and Shanghai suggests that a lack of meaningful engagement between the state and NGOs can be partially attributed to isomorphic pressures within state-NGO relations, and insufficient epistemic awareness of NGO activities on the part of the state. In fact, the evidence suggests that once epistemic awareness is achieved by the state, they will have a stronger desire to interact with NGOs – with the caveat that the state will seek to utilize the material power of NGOs, rather than their symbolic, interpretive or geographical capital.

Managing the tensions between maintaining academic standards and the commercial imperative in a UK private sector higher education institution

In a changing landscape of higher education, universities have been moving towards a market-led approach to strategic management. This paper examines the case of a UK private sector education provider that gained degree-awarding powers following changes made in 2004 by the UK Government to the accreditation criteria for recognised degree-awarding bodies. The management team, driven by the need to be seen as a legitimate organisation within the sector, made changes to the academic infrastructure to align more closely with those of the existing players in the market. This isomorphic pressure to become similar for reasons of legitimacy created tensions between maintaining academic standards and business objectives. The management of these tensions resulted in a reconciliation of the dual objectives – not a rationalisation or satisficing, but a realisation in action that the academic and business aims were in fact compatible rather than competing.

Advances in Graduate Marketing Curriculum

This research explores the impact of coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphic pressures on the coverage and offering of courses addressing ethical, social, and sustainability issues (ESSI) in business schools’ graduate marketing curricula. Data from the Aspen Institute’s Beyond Grey Pinstripes program are analyzed to detect if significant increases have occurred in the number of marketing courses addressing ESSI offered when comparing data from 2005 to 2007, 2007 to 2009, and 2005 to 2009. In addition, analysis of the databases from 2007 and 2009 are undertaken to assess if there are increases in the percentage of coverage of ESSI in the marketing curricula. Significant increases in graduate marketing course offerings focusing on ESSI were found over time but not an increase in the coverage of ESSI in these courses. Implications of these findings are discussed.

E‐Shariah in Malaysia: technology adoption within justice system

PurposeThe marriage between information and communication technology (ICT) and law has brought forward a significant change in the administration of justice. This paper aims to present the scenario of technology adoption in the court of law with special reference to Malaysia. It also aims to illustrate the intelligent use of technology to advance the pace of the administration of court reflected in w‐Shariah project in Shariah Court systems in Malaysia through various electronic applications, and finally propose an ICT adoption framework based on an information systems (IS) theory.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a qualitative case study approach to explore the scenario of information technology (IT) adoption in the court of law in Malaysia through semi‐structured interviews, observation and document reviews. Data gathered provide an understanding of how technology is used in the court workflow as well as the whole life‐cycle management of records in Shariah Court. This case study covers the management of records in Shariah courts of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. It involves personal observations on the whole life‐cycle of court room technology management.FindingsFive e‐Shariah modules were applied in 110 Shariah courts in Malaysia in 102 locations nationwide, using the electronic government network called EG*Net. E‐Shariah applications managed to standardize work environment in Shariah courts and link all the business processes on a single channel. Case clearance rate has risen significantly since then.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to the electronic applications in Shariah Court system, the secondary legal system in Malaysia after the Civil Court system. It is suggested that the future research is done to the Civil Court system, to complement the current research; in order to have a complete IS perspective on the overall legal system in Malaysia.Social implicationsThis paper proposed a technology adoption framework for electronic court management, which can be used by the policy makers for the enhancement of justice system. This research provides a foundation for practical technology adoption in courts.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates how ICT allow for better management of court management within institutionalization theory. It presents various kind of technology adoption in courts, including video conferencing with high‐tech video presenters and monitors, recreation of crime scene, electronic filing system, electronic case management and electronic court records management and systematic information storage and retrieval system. It discusses the three isomorphic pressures (coercive, normative and mimetic) that influence the technology adoption process. A research framework is presented which is expected to benefit the policy makers and judicial practitioners.

Rogue Resistance: Sidestepping Isomorphic Pressures in a Patchy Institutional Field

My research suggests that organizational fields are patchy and uneven. This patchiness allows organizations at the margins of fields to sidestep pressures for conformity. As a case study, this paper examines the private school field in Toronto, Canada. Data come from interviews and site visits at 60 Toronto private schools. My findings suggest that Toronto’s private school field is segmented, incorporating diverse private school forms, including elite, religious, and ‘rogue’ (non-elite, non-religious) schools. Within one subfield – small rogue private schools – a high degree of heterogeneity exists. These findings suggest a nuanced conception of institutional fields, with more attention to organizational agency, multiple field logics and diversity among organizational forms. This paper examines how organizations at the margins of fields are able to evade pressures for conformity, and how a heterogeneous organizational field can also be comprised of clusters of homogeneity.

Isomorphic mechanisms in manufacturing supply chains: a comparison of indigenous Chinese firms and foreign‐owned MNCs

PurposeThis study aims to demonstrate empirically the varied mechanisms through which supply chain practices of indigenous Chinese companies are influenced by foreign‐owned multinational companies (MNCs) operating within China. It also provides empirical evidence of how the foreign‐owned MNCs are influenced by the coercive pressures arising from the local cultural norms and begins an exploration of the mechanisms through which isomorphic pressures operate between industries.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a multi‐disciplinary approach by applying institutional theory from the field of organisational studies. The study is based on 27 in‐depth interviews in matched pairs of firms consisting of an indigenous Chinese firm and a foreign‐owned MNC in three industries. The interviews also include suppliers and third‐party logistics providers and hence the study extends beyond the dyad.FindingsThe findings show a “startling homogeneity” between the SCM practices of the paired firms and across the three industries studied. They also provide empirical evidence of the rich and varied mechanisms through which isomorphic pressures operate, and demonstrate that the pressures affect the foreign‐owned MNCs as well as the Chinese firms.Practical implicationsThe study identifies a wide range of mechanisms that firms can use to model their SCM practices on those of other firms. The study also identifies a range of implications for policy.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to explore empirically the rich and varied mechanisms through which isomorphic pressures operate.

Isomorphic Pressures, Peripheral Product Attributes and Emerging Market Firm Export Performance

Drawing upon the neo-institutional theory of mimetic isomorphism and the concept of the extended product, we identify and empirically evaluate two potential product strategies that emerging market firms (EMFs) may use to improve their export performance while also addressing the financial, managerial expertise, and international experience limitations that they frequently face. Hierarchical regression is used to test our proposed peripheral product adaptation strategies on a unique dataset of 106 Chinese and Romanian exporters. We find that EMFs that change either of two visible peripheral product attributes (the brand name or the packaging) to conform to local market norms, on average, are more satisfied with their export performance than those that pursue other strategies. Our results also suggest that changing the brand name to conform to local market norms has more than twice the impact on EMF performance than does changing the packaging. Consistent with the tenets of neo-institutional theory, EMFs managers may be able to improve their firms’ export performance by changing the peripheral attributes of their products to conform to local market norms.

Selective Organizational Deviance: A Model of Information Deviance in Supply Chains

Recent theory suggests that organizations are selective in the rules they violate. However, theory of selective rule violations is currently bounded to formal, externally governed rules (i.e., laws and directives). This paper expands the boundary conditions of theory of selective rule violations to norms and standards as well as to formal rules by adopting institutional theory. The model offers a more robust and flexible explanation of selective organizational deviance. This paper demonstrates the viability of the conceptual model by exploring information poaching in interorganizational relationships. The model suggests that isomorphism may be selective by positing that perceived risk and focus of attention mediate the effect of isomorphic pressures on isomorphic behavior. Additionally, the model identifies organizational and interorganizational factors that affect selective violations of rules, norms, and standards.