Isomorphic Processes Research Articles

Building the next generation of researchers: an “EPIC” student mentoring process

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe an intervention-based research mentoring opportunity for higher education students in health- and mental health-related disciplines.Design/methodology/approachThis paper includes a retrospective case study to demonstrate the application of a unique research mentoring method with a voluntary interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States of America. The research mentoring experience is described through a pedagogical approach based directly on the focal intervention under study (e.g. GenerationPMTO).FindingsWe present the process of an intervention-based model of research mentoring as a unique opportunity to build student research skills and provide exposure to evidence-based interventions applicable to general health populations. Findings demonstrate the research team’s success in forming a collaborative research mentoring environment, performing key research tasks effectively and making reliable fidelity ratings.Practical implicationsThis paper provides novel insight into an isomorphic process using intervention-based research mentoring as a pedagogy to enhance students’ research skills and application.Originality/valueUnderstanding effective research mentoring approaches can influence the trajectory for future generations of mental health researchers and scholars who may not otherwise be exposed to research in their clinical training programs or courses of study. This paper provides insight and recommendations for how mentors can engage higher education students intentionally in research opportunities using intervention-based research mentoring.

Investigating the Effect of Mimetic Isomorphism in Implementing Sustainable Development

If companies seek survival and the achievement of their objectives, they must adapt to their normative environments. This study suggests that in the context of isomorphism, when companies interact, they tend to influence each other’s behaviors and actions within their social bounds. In this regard, companies initially joined sustainable development as a response to external pressures and criticisms from governmental institutions and civil society organizations, which blame businesses for environmental degradation. The process of isomorphism explains why companies eventually change in line with uncertainties in behaviors and actions due to collective entanglement. In response to social changes in society, social networks consistently play a prominent role in defining, forecasting, responding to, and adapting to global, social, and environmental changes. Therefore, sustainable development is an example of such a global change. Consequently, this research examines the effect of mimetic isomorphism in the implementation of sustainable development, and the results of structural equation modeling indicate that all three measured dimensions of sustainable development—environmental, social, and corporate governance—are significantly influenced by mimetic isomorphism. Additionally, the findings of these studies suggest strong evidence of the operationalization of sustainable development due to mimetic isomorphism.

The future of higher education and the claim of globalisation: revisioning the past, re-imagining the future

ABSTRACT Recent years have seen a rise in policy papers and academic literature about the future of higher education, often formulated within a particular globalist imaginary. The thesis of this article is that this imaginary configures discourses on higher education futures and simultaneously reconstructs the history of higher education in terms of a process of global isomorphism. The prevailing discourse assumes a transition from nation-state-centred to globally oriented universities, emphasising convergence and integration on a global scale. Critically examining this globalist imaginary, the article uncovers several misconceptions in the historiography of higher education under the guise of globalisation. The globalist perspective tends to cast higher education history within a diffusionist framework, ignoring the complexities and nuances of historical development, especially in contexts marked by histories of colonialism. The article advocates for a cultural historiography that acknowledges contextual differences and confronts historical power relations. Challenging the assumptions of global isomorphism, the authors propose a shift in focus to foster a more nuanced understanding of the past of higher education, enabling more interesting and relevant imaginations of higher education futures.

Emerging Partnerships of SDGs and HRM Practices During the Pandemic: A Study of the Indian IT Industry

Post-pandemic, the world of work has changed, and the pandemic has accelerated the responsible business agenda, representing a huge opportunity for the human-centric approach to HRM to transform the world of work. The drive towards responsible and sustainable business demands a new way of thinking, and the old conventional thinking approach addressing piece-meal solutions is an approach of the past. The human resource management (HRM) practices of multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiaries in India in the IT sector are studied within an institutional theory framework to look at how MNCs operating in India are incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Applying the tenets of DiMaggio and Powell’s (1983) work, we understand that an MNC subsidiary located in India will be influenced by both potentially contradictory pulls from institutional factors in the local environment and international isomorphic processes. With a qualitative approach and primary data collected via in-depth interviews with 52 HR professionals (including host and subsidiaries) from 8 MNCs, our findings indicate that the subsidiaries based in India are mostly adopting the pattern exhibited by larger organizations in their environment that are viewed as successful (mimetic isomorphism) in implementing the SDGs. There is still a huge scope for improvement in these subsidiaries in terms of investing in people’s capabilities for future sustainable work. The research contributes to the bourgeoning literature on HRM practices and how MNC subsidiaries operate in different contexts and cultural settings in the IT sector.

Этнополитические конфликты в Сербии и Черногории: (без)успешные решения в логике институционального изоморфизма

The political and territorial diversity management in the context of separatism risks requires the state to implement reforms, borrowing their recipes. Successful recipes in one case may lead to failure in the other. This point is expanded into two more specific questions. Why and who borrows recipes for political reforms and solutions and how do they do it? What role do imitation and coercion strategies play in this? Using the concept of P. DiMaggio and U. Powell on the convergence of institutional structures of organizations as a result of three isomorphic processes – coercion, normative borrowing, and imitation, the article compares successful and unsuccessful cases of reforms to resolve ethnopolitical conflicts (Montenegrin, Vojvodina, Kosovo, Presevo valley, and Sanjak) in the same ethnopolitical and politico-institutional space of Serbia and Montenegro. The comparison parameters are: the composition of conflicts in terms of actors involved, including third parties, the nature and content of requirements and institutional decisions taken in relation to them, as well as strategies for interaction and institutional decision-making. The political and institutional space of Serbia and Montenegro is a common organizational field, where the statuses of the regions are differentiated. This asymmetry is due to the historical experience of autonomous or republican status for Kosovo, Montenegro, Vojvodina and its absence for Sanjak and Presevo valley. Territorial division leads to potential irredentism, which can block the isomorphic effect of related coercive and imitative institutional reforms and inclusive ethnic policies that make the space homogeneous in terms of guarantees of rights, but differentiated in terms of political statuses. The coercive actions of Serbia and Montenegro are accompanied by similar coercion by the EU or UN. The response of subnational public authorities, politicians often turn out to be imitative, which ensures (except for the case of Kosovo) the blocking of separatist projects.

Love is love: Reverse isomorphism and the rise of LGBTQ+ romance publishing

In the late 2010s, US romance publishing underwent an astonishing change. Previously, same-sex couples were all but nonexistent in romances released by major publishers. By 2022, every large publisher in the United States issued romances featuring same-sex couples: A few also published bisexual, trans, or polyamorous romances. This article turns to neo-institutionalism to analyze how processes of isomorphism contributed to this change. Through interviews with 10 authors and 7 editors, we show how specific mechanisms associated with isomorphism—coercion, mimesis, and normative pressures—explain this major shift. Contrary to prevailing literature, we find that structural innovations moved from publishing’s periphery to its core in a process we call reverse isomorphism. We contribute to discussions of representation in media by showing how social, organizational, and institutional processes facilitate or suppress underrepresented voices. At the same time, we caution that new structures may create new types of marginalization.

Institutional theory in accounting information systems research: Shedding light on digital transformation and institutional change

Institutional theory in accounting information systems research: Shedding light on digital transformation and institutional change

The digital imperative: Institutional pressures to digitalise

This paper addresses the ‘digital imperative’ and how organisations are pressured to digitalise. In comparison to previous studies that often emphasise market pressures to digitalise, this paper focuses on institutional pressures exerted on organisations that lack competitive pressures. By drawing upon institutional theory, which considers the social embeddedness of organisations, it acknowledges that social expectations and approval can shape the way organisations respond to technological change. Based on a study of digitalisation within the water sector, where the perceived benefits of digital technologies are advocated under the label of ‘digital water’, it shows that there are isomorphic processes in place through which the idea of digital water is legitimised. Hence, water utilities are under institutional pressures to digitalise which, in turn, can influence how they respond to digitalisation.

What matters in the local adaptation of Western social innovation to China: deep core beliefs, institutional boundary conditions or managerial practices?

The article tests three contextual factors, including institutional boundary conditions, core beliefs and professional managerial practices, to analyse the local adaption of a Western social innovation to China. With a case study of 23 semi-structured interviews of stakeholders in China and the Netherlands and content analysis of these data, the article aims to examine the facilitating and hindering effects of institutional isomorphism on transnational social-innovation diffusion. The results indicate that social innovations face diverse pressures of isomorphism that necessitate their capitulation to homogeneity within the environment. Some isomorphic processes within the organization, however, may counterbalance external pressures in the long run. This article contributes to a better understanding of the transnational diffusion of social innovation between two different institutional and cultural settings.

지방교육재정분석과 지방재정분석의 비교 및 향후 과제

Since the financial analysis system was implemented, 34 years have passed for general local governments and 12 years for educational autonomous administrative agencies. Until now, the two systems have been systematically developed through the process of isomorphism and dimorphism. Local financial analysis and local education financial analysis are common in that they are conducted by the central government for the purpose of local fiscal soundness and efficiency, but various institutional differences have been made due to differences in the roles and functions of general and educational governments. This study attempted to fill this research gap with a sense of the problem that comparative research between financial analysis and educational financial analysis has not yet been systematically conducted. First, after reviewing previous studies on general financial analysis and educational financial analysis the historical and environmental contexts of each financial analysis were reviewed, and the current operation status of each system was compared based on the indicator system and analysis process. Finally, based on the results of the comparative analysis, suggestions for the development direction of local fiscal analysis were presented.

Decision Making by Teachers under Institutional Isomorphism in Educational Institutions

Aims of the Study: The article aimed to understand the process of institutional isomorphism in federal government educational institutions (FGEIs). It described how decision-making rationalities were maintained among teachers, under institutional isomorphism in primary and secondary schools. The main objectives of the study comprised; 1) to analyze the perceptions and presence of institutional isomorphism at FGEIs, 2) to analyze the decision making by teachers under institutional isomorphism. Methodology: Mixed method approach was adopted to find the answer of the research study. Interviews from FGEIs local and regional officials were conducted for qualitative data. Questionnaires were administered collected data from different schoolteachers of FGEIs. The population of the study was Regional and Local Headquarters’ officers of FGEIs, all Heads and 106 randomly selected teachers of FGEIs. Findings: Coercion in relation to institutional isomorphism was maintained in FGEIs through formal laws and SOPs monitor and execute leading to coercive institutional isomorphism. Through a standard such as a value, norm, rule, goal, best practice, or principle. Whereas principles of FGEIs were of the view, this phenomenon has implication for employees. Conclusion: The study concluded that a significant presence of strong isomorphism within FGEIs, resulting in limited autonomy for school heads when it comes to making decisions related to the school.

Analogous Forecasting for Predicting Sport Innovation Diffusion: From Business Analytics to Natural Language Processing

The purpose of this study was to analyze the diffusion of one sport innovation to forecast a second. Contextualized within the diffusion of innovations theory, this study investigated cumulative business analytics diffusion as an analog for cumulative natural language processing (NLP) diffusion in professional sport. A total of 89 teams of the 123 teams in the Big Four North American men’s professional sport leagues contributed: 21 from the National Football League, 23 from the National Basketball Association, 22 from Major League Baseball, and 23 from the National Hockey League. Utilizing an analogous forecasting approach, a discrete derivation of the Bass model was applied to cumulative BA adoption data. Parameters were then extended to predict cumulative NLP adoption. Resulting BA-estimated parameters (p = .0072, q = .3644) determined a close fit to NLP diffusion (root mean square error of approximation = 3.51, mean absolute error = 2.98), thereby validating BA to predict the takeoff and full adoption of NLP. This study illuminates an ongoing and isomorphic process for diffusion of innovations in the professional sport social system and generates a novel application of diffusion of innovations theory to the sport industry.

World Society Corridors: Partnership Patterns in the Spread of Human Rights

Abstract Considerable sociological work shows that the human rights regime is rapidly expanding through isomorphic processes. We provide new insight into human rights diffusion through an analysis of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a global forum in which all states receive human rights recommendations from their peers. We convert the roughly 50,000 recommendations from the first two cycles of the UPR into a relational dataset of states making and receiving recommendations, inductively modeling this process of human rights diffusion through latent class regression. Building on research in the new institutionalism, we find that asymmetric relationships between states make it less likely for human rights recommendations to be accepted, with accepted recommendations tending to be more general and easier to implement. We argue that these partnership patterns provide evidence for normative corridors that give world society its shape. By drawing together world society approaches with relational sociology, we develop new insights into the structuration of human rights and normative change more broadly.

Homogeneity or Heterogeneity: An Institutional Theory View on Circular Economy Practices in the Outdoor Sporting Goods Industry

The concept of a circular economy (CE) has recently gained attention within the field of corporate sustainability, including the textile sector. Although CE-related literature often mentions actors from the outdoor sporting goods industry (OSGI) as forerunners, an analysis of their CE implementation is missing. Thus, in this paper, we attempt to identify the structure of the current state of CE activities in this field. To develop the study, we used a qualitative methodology through content analysis of documents as well as expert interviews, taking an institutional theory (IT) view to support that analysis. Our findings indicate that many outdoor brands and retailers are engaged in practices related to the CE and that homogeneity among these practices varies between moderate to high. Thus, we assume that processes of institutional isomorphism are in place and that there will be increasingly uniform CE practices in the OSGI in the future. Our study not only contributes to a more organised understanding of the diverse CE playing field, as it adds an industry-specific perspective to the literature, but it also helps managers to draw practical implications.

Stepford Partners: Do Innate Gender-Related Differences Survive Isomorphic Processes?

Stepford Partners: Do Innate Gender-Related Differences Survive Isomorphic Processes?

Back to the Iron Cage? Institutional Isomorphism of the AIIB

During its first five years of operation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is becoming more and more similar to traditional Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in terms of operational goals, business area, and environmental and social standards. Why has the AIIB, the newest type of multilateral development bank (MDB) initiated by an emerging economy, undergone institutional isomorphism? Based on the socialization theory, this paper argues that the institutional environment in which the AIIB is operating has a strong influence on AIIB’s institution-building, mainly through the coercive, mimetic, and normative institutional isomorphic processes. On coercion, the pressures from European donors, international credit rating agencies, and global civil society have resulted in the AIIB’s institutional isomorphism. On mimicking, the social uncertainty of the relationship between the AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative and the technical uncertainty of infrastructure projects have triggered the AIIB’s institutional isomorphism. On normativeness, the similar educational backgrounds and working experience of the AIIB’s staff and active interactions among the MDB family members have caused the AIIB’s institutional isomorphism. The paper concludes that the international institutional environment might hamper emerging economies’ capabilities of institutional innovation.

Development Strategy for the Electronic Industry of the Russian Federation and Its Financial Support

The purpose of the article is to substantiate how to solve the problem set by the President of Russia to achieve sovereignty in the development and production of electronics and electronic component base. The Government developed methods for achieving this goal and approved by the Strategy for the Development of the Electronic Industry until 2030. The most powerful and dynamically developing competitor of domestic electronics in China, therefore, it is advisable to consider the development of domestic electronics, having isomorphic processes at individual enterprises and in electronics in China as a scale line. Now a bottleneck in the development of domestic electronics has emerged – this is the lack of proactive and duplicate funding for breakthrough technologies. The article presents an asymmetric version of the response to the total and increasing Western sanctions, the main element of which should be non-monetary investment certificates.

Mathematical Modeling of Cassiterite Using Certain High Field Strength Elements (HFSE) with Respect to Thermodynamics Principle

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate Cassiterite ore mathematically, using certain selected minerals of high field strength elements (HFSE) with respect to thermodynamic principle and how they control the formation of cassiterite during crystallization of magma. The effectiveness of Cassiterite ore in Extractive Industry depends on the properties of these minerals of HFSE that composed the Cassiterite during crystallization of magma and can be mathematically expressed as Z[X n-x Y x ]O 6 , [X n-x Y x ]O 4 and, [ X n-x Y x ]O 3 as n ranges from 0 to 5 where x depends on’ n’. These minerals contain HFSE and are those that essentially partitioned along the aqueous phase during cratallization magma. Methodologically, 20kg of cassiterite was crushed and pulverized in the laboratory mill machine for an hour, and was taken and sized by sieving into number of size fractions using the automatic sieve shaker for 15 minutes, after processing using high intensity magnetic separator and with the help of ordinary hand magnet of about 0.01Tesla, relative density measure, the relationship between minerals of HFSE can be mathematically established using a Cassiterite model. Mathematically, findings have shown that, the minerals obtained from cassiterite during processing are mainly minerals of HFSE such as tin, ilmenite, columbite, tantalite, zircon, monazite and sand, and as such classified as, Ferri/Ferrous-Columbte, Ilmeno-Columbite Cassiterite type, and Ilmeno-tantalite types and chemical analysis using XRF revealed the following chemical compositions of cassiterite; SnO 2, TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 , Nb 2 O 6 , Ta 2 O 6, ZrO 2 . At a given chemical equilibrium under standard condition of temperature and pressure, these HFSE are partitioned along the aqueous phase and they set in matrices to form an Ore of these HFSE that is stable with minimum Gibbs free energy and is highly resistance to weathering during weathering breakdown, such as Cassiterite. In conclusion after the comparative analysis among the minerals of HFSE in cassiterite using matrix equations and certain measures such as density, magnetic susceptibility, and their electrical conductivity, it is observed that, the type of reactions that take place during the formation of Cassiterite are oxidized and isomorphous which include complex, isovalent and heterovalent reactions. This means that there was an oxidation of these complexes from one form to the other and substitution of one element to the other according to size and charge during the formation of cassiterite ore from magma. Presumably, if the reactions occur throughout the time of crystallization from the dry melt to an aqueous state with increasing particular trace elements over the others, then at a given chemical equilibrium with minimum Gibbs free energy, cassiterite can be processed in terms of ferrous/ferric – colubite cassiterite type Ilmeno-Columbite Cassiterite type and Ilmeno – tantalite cassiterite type. Finally, the presence or absence of HFSE over the other in cassiterite ore determine their genetic rock origin, in which the amount of titanium - tantalum in Cassiterite increased from alkali rock (magmatic) with ∆G ≥ 0, e.g. nepheline syenite to more silicic, with ∆G > 0, e.g. granite pegmatite (hydrothermal) which gives the account that cassiterite rich in ferrous/ferric -niobium is less dense than the cassiterite rich in titanium-tantalum, therefore as result of this, concise valuable substantive empirical novel model was developed and can be employed to study cassiterite ore. This concise empirical novel model was, ‘Cassiterite’ model designed with the aid of: Matrix equation, Oxidation and the isomorphic process, and can be recommended to study the Cassiterite and the application can improve mineral processing in extractive Industry.

Вплив транзиту гегемонії на структури символічного насильства в капіталістичній світ-системі

One of the key concepts of world-system analysis is the concept of liberal hegemonic states, which not only arise, develop, and decline within the capitalist world-system, but also expand and re-establish it on new principles. Precisely, the transition of power between different hegemonic states occurred during the most significant world wars – 1618–1648, 1794–1815, and 1914–1945. This article examines the processes of symbolic violence and institutional isomorphism during the transition of hegemony. It argues that the hegemonic state creates an organizational field that spreads the phenomenon of institutional isomorphism within the capitalist world-system, which leads to some homogenization of the pseudo-independent states that are part of it. Although, speaking of such ‘standardization’, it is necessary to compare each state not with the hegemon but with other representatives of its zone in the capitalist world-system. The formation process of ‘universal’ institutions creates common cultural and political meanings, stabilizing transnational class alliances and allowing the hegemonic state to exercise its symbolic power at all levels of the capitalist world-system. Therefore, one of the most destructive manifestations of the hegemony transition is the collapse of global system of symbolic violence and institutional isomorphism, which leads to the failure of monopoly on symbolic and, consequently, physical violence. Moreover, it gives the reasons for numerous grassroots uprisings and leads to the emergence of competing illiberal government projects.

The impact of the hegemony on the structure of symbolic violence in the capitalist world-system

One of the key concepts of world-system analysis is the concept of liberal hegemonic states, which not only arise, develop, and decline within the capitalist world-system, but also expand and re-establish it on new principles. Precisely, the transition of power between different hegemonic states occurred during the most significant world wars – 1618–1648, 1794–1815, and 1914–1945. This article examines the processes of symbolic violence and institutional isomorphism during the transition of hegemony. It argues that the hegemonic state creates an organizational field that spreads the phenomenon of institutional isomorphism within the capitalist world-system, which leads to some homogenization of the pseudo-independent states that are part of it. Although, speaking of such ‘standardization’, it is necessary to compare each state not with the hegemon but with other representatives of its zone in the capitalist world-system. The formation process of ‘universal’ institutions creates common cultural and political meanings, stabilizing transnational class alliances and allowing the hegemonic state to exercise its symbolic power at all levels of the capitalist world-system. Therefore, one of the most destructive manifestations of the hegemony transition is the collapse of global system of symbolic violence and institutional isomorphism, which leads to the failure of monopoly on symbolic and, consequently, physical violence. Moreover, it gives the reasons for numerous grassroots uprisings and leads to the emergence of competing illiberal government projects.