Institutional Perspective Research Articles

Landscapes of state capitalism: Reconciling the vernacular, national development imaginaries, and green capital accumulation

This article theorizes ‘state capitalist landscapes’ as a unique spatial form shaped by state‐owned developers that reconcile economic goals with national development imperatives and symbolic national imaginaries. State capitalist landscapes, I argue, integrate economically productive spaces with natural spaces to symbolize imaginaries of the nation. Through an inductive case study methodology, this article surveys three industrial zones developed and/or under development by state owned developers: Singapore's Jurong, China's Xiong’an New Area, and Thailand's Wangchan Valley. In each of these cases, natural landscapes are integrated into new economic zones in order to construct specific symbolic and/or political imaginaries of the nation: Singapore's ‘garden city’, China's ‘ecological civilization’, and in Thailand the ‘sufficiency economy’. By bringing together work on ‘infrastructural landscapes’ and ‘state capitalism’ this paper provides a concrete material perspective to contemporary discussions of state capitalism, while also bringing more grounded, political and institutional perspectives to landscape infrastructure studies, which has tended to set aside discussions of institutional forms or national political dynamics in a focus on form and materiality of infrastructure landscapes worldwide.

Public Sector Corporate Social Investments in Namibia: The Case of the Mobile Telecommunications Company

A bias in research has seen studies focus mostly on corporate social investments (CSIs) in the private sector. The current study aims to provide an alternative perspective to the traditional association of CSIs with private sector organisations by including public sector entities such as public enterprises (PEs), using the case of the Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) in Namibia. A qualitative research method and a single case study research design focusing on MTC was used, and data were analysed through themes and deductive reasoning. The major findings of this study show that MTC is exemplary in practicing CSI in Namibia’s public sector. MTC has various impactful socio-economic and environmental focus areas of CSI, which contribute to the development agenda of the Namibian government. The issue of CSI in the public sector is intriguing and could be usefully explored in further research, particularly from a developing country perspective. It is now possible to conclude that PEs can also be dominant players in the CSI sphere, particularly from a public sector perspective. The findings in this study make important contributions to the literature by providing a public sector institutional perspective of CSI that is different from the traditional view that mostly associates CSIs with the private sector.

Reindustrialization, Innovative Sustainable Economic Development, and Societal Values: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Our paper explores the challenges of industrial development by examining two contrasting theoretical frameworks: (i) the mainstream economic approach which emphasizes capital accumulation, innovation, and profit maximization within a globalized context, and (ii) the classical institutional economics perspective, rooted in the so-called “Veblen Dichotomy”. The latter contrasts monetary institutions focused on short-term profits with those centered on organizational, social, environmental, and business values that foster long-term technological progress. We analyze reindustrialization processes and assess the hypothesis that the conflict between these divergent institutions and social values plays a critical role in creating an institutional environment conducive to innovation and economic development. Our research highlights how technological advancements contribute to the physical and geographical fragmentation of industrial activities, thereby driving the spatial restructuring of economies. Furthermore, this paper addresses the growing prominence of intangible production, noting how deindustrialization, driven by shifts toward service-based economies, is closely related to the broader processes of globalization. The paper employs cluster analysis to explore the links between reindustrialization, institutional dynamics, and societal values across four groups (clusters) of countries. Our results reveal differences and similarities between these groups of countries and offer policy implications and suggestions for improvements. These results might be of special interest for relevant stakeholders and policymakers, as well as for researchers focused on innovative industrial and economic development.

Ceremonial conformity: navigating institutional complexity and uncertainty in corporate political activities

PurposeThis study aims to examine Canadian institutional investors’ interest in the political activities of their portfolio companies and the companies’ strategic responses. This study also explores the decoupling of social and political responsibilities of companies, contributing to underexplored institutional and ethical perspectives in corporate political activity (CPA) analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a qualitative content analysis of diverse public documents produced by crucial actors in the responsible investment (RI) industry, such as associations; standard setters; environmental, social and governance (ESG) providers; responsible investors’ funds; and companies belonging to those funds.FindingsCompanies’ CPA disclosures frequently show inconsistency and opacity, reflecting similar issues in ESG ratings. Differences in perceptions of CPA’s importance among ESG standards may cause this inconsistency. While sustainability metrics often neglect CPAs, particularly lobbying in ESG reports, responsible investors, even those following PRI, seem to distance themselves, not rigorously overseeing CPA disclosures. The findings indicate that institutional uncertainty prompts companies to offer only superficial compliance to investor expectations.Originality/valueThe present approach comprehensively explores corporate political actions, encompassing diverse perspectives within the RI industry. This study examines the disparity between responsible investors’ declared intentions and their real-world actions concerning corporate political responsibility. Finally, the authors emphasize that institutional complexity results in a disconnect between responsible investors’ policies and their actual investment practices. This decoupling is also evident between corporate policies and their disclosures and between the expectations of standard setters and rating agencies.

Critical review of jatibarang reservoir management in semarang city: an institutional perspective

Abstract This review critically examines the management of Jatibarang Reservoir in Semarang City from an institutional perspective, highlighting key challenges and proposing strategic improvements. The reservoir plays a vital role in water supply, flood control, and environmental enhancement, yet faces significant issues such as sedimentation, erosion, policy fragmentation, and inadequate institutional coordination. Through an analysis of global best practices and innovative management strategies, this review underscores the importance of robust institutional frameworks, stakeholder collaboration, and advanced technologies in enhancing reservoir management. Recommendations include the establishment of a centralized authority for better coordination, the integration of community and private sector efforts, and the adoption advanced sediment management techniques. These measures are critical for ensuring the sustainability of Jatibarang Reservoir and contribute to broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in urban water management.

Legitimacy Strategies for Communicating Corporate Activities Using Symbolic Value

Abstract Research purpose. The objective of this paper was to identify the strategies for the use of symbols as communication tools by senior corporate executives in the era of a sudden change in the environment related to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it has been proved that the leadership style (whose part is to be informative) was affected by the pandemic it can be assumed that the effects of the pandemic can be found in CEO letters. The authors aim at examining to what extent the legitimacy context established by the legitimising CEO messages describing corporate activities and their results can be shaped by symbols embedded in the messages. Symbols understood as textual signs are used in such a way that labels and categories created by symbols have meaning in social interaction and when being intentionally selected enable necessary legitimacy. From the point of view presented in the paper, it is important to acknowledge that symbols facilitate interactions between organisational actors which may be strengthened depending on which form of value (ideological, comparative, isomorphic) symbols imply. Design / Methodology / Approach. In the literature on the perspectives of the analysis of legitimacy of enterprises, the significance of the trend focusing on change agents, who, through their actions, attempt to give the processes of legitimacy formation a proper direction, can be emphasised. To achieve the research objective, letters from CEOs of enterprises diversified with regard to the reported changes in financial performance were analysed using manual content analysis based on the grounded theory approach. This technique was justified by the need to deal with highly contextual messages. Findings. The obtained research results allowed identifying four types of legitimacy strategies for communicating corporate activities, in which embedded symbols play a different role due to the legitimacy context evolving under the influence of changes in the environment and approaches towards learning in enterprises associated with them. In this way, it has been shown that the approach towards the use of symbols has evolved in communication tools used by senior corporate executives in the era of a sudden change in the environment related to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among enterprises that register positive changes in financial performance when the level of uncertainty decreases, it can be observed that such kind of a group of enterprises appears to be less focused on the ongoing nature of legitimate work activities and ideological values to be generated by symbols embedded in their communication. Among enterprises that register negative changes in financial performance when the level of uncertainty decreases, it can be observed that enterprises appear to draw more attention to how their adaptation can be managed and are more focused on isomorphic values to be generated by symbols embedded in their communication. Originality / Value / Practical implications. Gaining stakeholder legitimacy for corporate activities is a key element of sustainable development in many sectors, and the issue of using symbols, alongside the institutional perspective, constitutes a significant component of deliberations in that matter. The identified strategic patterns appear to be appropriate for companies across different sectors. When being used they may enable managers to build the legitimacy of their activities effectively, which is of great importance from the point of view of the developmental paths for those companies.

사회학적 제도주의 관점에서 본 자유학기제의 제도화 과정 분석

This study aims to analyze the institutionalization process of the free semester system through the sociological institutional perspective. The free semester system is an educational policy with reformative intentions and is seeking changes for a new leap forward. Therefore, it is timely to analyze the institutionalization process of this system and consider the structural context that may limit its intended effects. The findings of this study are as follows. In addition to addressing social problems, the free semester system was implemented with political motives, leading to a focus on immediate outcomes. The government employed an isomorphism strategy to affirm the policy’s status and establish legitimacy to accelerate full implementation. However, Korea’s social and cultural context led to institutional resistance and a disconnect between the free semester and the general semesters. Additionally, many stakeholders did not fully embrace the policy's objectives, as private education outside the school system continued to receive considerable attention as a preferred choice. Even with its full implementation, the free semester system demonstrated a ceremonial conformity phenomenon, with longstanding individual preferences like academic elitism remaining influential. While the system may appear to be formally institutionalized, it falls short of genuine institutionalization from a sociological institutional perspective. The free semester system was expanded to the free year system, it will be scaled back to the free semester system again. However, in Korea, where education policies often experience significant fluctuation, the free semester system appears to be trying to adjust rather than being phased out. It will be essential to be gradually improved, such as by reducing resistance by aligning with other education policies and rebuilding trust by improving quality through active support in the field.

Designed for success or failure: Differences in funding and rejection in the space of applications to the Danish Art Foundation among craftsmen and designers

Craft and design are art forms that teeter on the boundary of being considered art. Because of this, these mediums are an ideal case to examine how the Danish Art Foundation funds these arts and what this says about the distinction of the arts in a Danish context. This article analyses 1898 full-text applications for funding - both the ones that have been awarded funding and the ones that have been rejected - of craftsmen and designers from a five-year range. The applications are analysed with hierarchical Stochastic Block Modelling and Class Specific Correspondence Analysis to reduce the complexity of the data. Using these methods, the structures of both the overall meta-field and the discipline-specific subfields become apparent, and so do the different degrees of homologies and heterologies between subfields and the meta-field and the field of art. Exemplified by four subfields, we identify four different types of homology/heterology: a full homology, a secondary homology, a heterologous artistic pole, and a full heterology. That some subfields of craft and design are homologous to the field of art while others are heterologous exemplifies the process of artification from an institutional perspective. The criteria for being considered artistic varies from subfield to subfield, with some having homologous structures to the art field, while others show a clear heterologous structure, highlighting that subfields can be autonomous from a common meta-field. Some subfields are, however, neither fully homologous nor heterologous but exhibit a mix of both logics. This article hopes to add to the discussion of methods for determining field autonomy and what fields can be autonomous from.

An institutional perspective on fear of failure and its effects across three entrepreneurship stages

An institutional perspective on fear of failure and its effects across three entrepreneurship stages

Default Prediction for Wholesale and Retail Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Using Loan Transaction and Market Evaluation Data

ABSTRACT Irregular loan transaction behaviors and poor market situation indicate potential risk for wholesale and retail small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in loan use and operation, but the value of these risk information is rarely explored and utilized. This paper innovatively proposed to mine such information to solve the difficulty of default prediction for wholesale and retail SMEs and enrich the credit risk research of special groups. The experimental results showed that tracking loan transaction and market evaluation data can improve the accuracy and recall of the models by an average of 1.38% and 7.66%, respectively, and identify default samples 233.22 days in advance on average, which can provide a new perspective for financial institutions to predict the default risk.

Una aproximación etnográfica a algunas problemáticas cotidianas de los adultos mayores en el área metropolitana de la Ciudad de México: residencia, ingreso económico y enfermedad

This paper addresses the lifestyle of elderly people and its relationship with public policies, family relationships, and health. Using an ethnographic approach, it focuses on a group of elderly individuals in Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México. The aim is to make visible the connections between aging and other social issues. Specifically, it examines the matters of residence, economic income, and health from both institutional and subjective perspectives.

Understanding ‘the Conflict Conundrum’: the Perspective of Microfinance Institutions’ Conflicts in Ghana

Across the globe, Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) have the potential of enhancing the standard of living of low-income groups, the socially excluded, as well as the informal sector through the provision of various cost-effective lending approaches. They contribute to employment creation, capacity building, community development, women’s empowerment, and capital provision, among others. Despite these contributions, in Ghana, the sector is saddled with varied degrees of conflict. Against this background, four MFIs in the Brong Ahafo Region, which have survived despite the collapse of many in recent times, were purposely selected in a multiple case study design with the view to examine how conflicts affect their operations. We selected a total of 58 respondents using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The study found that creativity and innovation, group unity and cooperation, and improved decision-making have been facilitated by conflict. Notwithstanding, due to dysfunctional conflicts, MFIs are confronted with low productivity, loss of clients and staff, security challenges, and frequent and prolonged litigation, explaining the dual nature of conflicts. The paper recommends capacity-building on conflict management for MFI staff with the view of helping them minimise the negative effects of conflicts on the operation of these institutions.

E-commerce transformation: A literature review from an institutional and organizational perspective

E-commerce transformation: A literature review from an institutional and organizational perspective

The power of play and community – managing exercise at work by combining institutional logics

PurposePlay and exercise at the workplace have been promoted as ways to counter the development of lacking physical activity and improve workplace health. Through a reappraisal of the critical literature on workplace exercise, the analysis seeks to answer two questions: How do managers perceive employee health in the intersection between individual responsibility and collective community? How can the performative potentials of workplace exercise be critically understood?Design/methodology/approachWe use an institutional approach along with critical theories on management in which we argue that specific logics guide certain practices, values and beliefs within organizations. This qualitative study relies on insights from three diverse Danish workplaces that have implemented exercise during workhours.FindingsAdopting exercise and play as elements inspired by community sports becomes a powerful managerial technique. Managers combine practices such as play and voluntarism with the logics of profession and corporation. This gives rise to practices known from community sport that can lead to micro-emancipations during work as well as to subtle forms of managerial power by hiding explicit references to employee health.Originality/valueBy combining an institutional logics perspective with critical views, the study contributes to the growing body of research on workplace exercise by pointing to the potentials and constraints of adopting a community logic into practices. The study adds nuances to the view on workplace exercise in the critical management literature as well as illustrating the conditions necessary to make exercise and health promotion reconcilable with existing managerial practices.

Institutional Complexity and Social Innovation: The Case of Chinese Social Enterprises

Abstract Social enterprises (SEs) have emerged throughout the world to address societal challenges through market-based activities and innovation. Research has focused on how SEs manage the tensions arising from the combination of social-welfare and market logics, neglecting the institutional complexity that arises in authoritarian regimes where the state plays a dominant role. Based on the institutional logics perspective and interview data of 42 SE leaders in China, we find that key tensions arise from the state and social-welfare logics and that state logic (re)configures the social–market relationships to be compatible. Chinese SEs employed depoliticization and localization to adapt to this unique form of institutional complexity in their social innovation efforts. This study advances research on SEs, institutional complexity, and hybrid organizing.

Born digitals entry mode choice from a target market institutional and digitalization perspective

PurposeThe rise of digital technologies has led to the emergence of born digitals, which are firms distinguished by their digital business models and an early digitalization of their value chains. Despite the growing importance of these firms, their internationalization strategies, including the crucial choice of the most-suited foreign entry mode, have only been analyzed marginally by the extant literature. This paper aims to examine how born digitals select their entry mode and which context-specific modes are preferred.Design/methodology/approachBy advancing the institutional entry mode approach of Meyer et al. (2009) with the digitalization conditions of the target market, the authors propose a theoretical entry mode framework for born digitals, in which the institutional market support and the digitalization degree simultaneously affect the entry mode decision.FindingsThe authors conclude with two main propositions, arguing that a joint venture and a digital entry are preferable under weak institutions and acquisitions and greenfield projects otherwise. Depending on a high digitalization degree, digital and greenfield entry modes are beneficial.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by creating an entry mode framework for born digitals and by introducing a digital entry mode.

Sustainable Implementation of Citizen-Based Plastic Monitoring of Fresh Waters in Western Africa

Citizen science projects globally have increasingly been implemented in collecting and analysing environmental data. At the same time, these initiatives are often project-based and, therefore, of short duration. This presents a challenge as data from such activities may not be used in research and political decision-making. This research aims to explore the barriers and solutions for establishing a sustainable long-term citizen-based plastic monitoring strategy in fresh waters based on a case study in Accra, Ghana. This case study is particularly relevant due to the significant issue of plastic pollution in the region, limited official monitoring data to effectively address the problem, and the potential role of citizen science in addressing this data gap in the long term. Data on barriers and solutions were collected based on eight expert interviews, a survey amongst 17 stakeholders, and subsequent roundtable discussions with 24 experts and stakeholders from academia, the private sector, the public sector, and civil society. From this, we identified 30 types of barriers and 21 types of solutions to implement citizen science in the long term. These barriers and solutions relate to five fields of action (social, economic, environmental, technical, and management and governance) and four stakeholder groups (public sector, private sector, civil society, and academia) to implement solution pathways for long-term citizen science projects. Based on our findings, we make suggestions as to how citizen science can be implemented more sustainably in the future in different fields of action and from various institutional perspectives. With this, we hope to advance the potential use of citizen science and citizen science data in research and policy design related to plastics in fresh waters.

Inward internationalization and cross border acquisitions by emerging economy multinational enterprises: The moderating role of family and institutional ownership

Mergers and acquisitions are a complex and persistent global phenomenon. Theoretical cross-fertilization enhances our understanding of their behavior, especially in different contexts. We use organizational learning theory and institutional logic perspective to hypothesize the direct effect of inward internationalization, the negative moderating effect of family ownership and domestic institutional ownership, and the positive moderating effect of foreign institutional ownership on cross-border acquisitions (CBAs) by emerging economy multinational enterprises (MNEs). Based on data from 199 Indian MNEs over nine years consisting of an unbalanced panel with 1619 observations, our findings supported all the hypotheses except the moderating effects of domestic institutional ownership. Our findings explain that the impact of learning from inward internationalization on CBAs is not similar for all firms; rather, it depends upon ownership groups because of their institutional logic. We have proposed socioemotional wealth logic for family ownership, cautious fosterer logic for domestic institutional ownership, and yield maximizer logic for foreign institutional ownership. Our findings enhance our understanding of firms’ CBA behavior by utilizing theoretical cross-fertilization and examining CBAs in an emerging economy context.

Understanding the health system drivers of delayed cancer diagnosis in public healthcare networks of Chile, Colombia and Ecuador: A qualitative study with health professionals, managers and policymakers

Although the greatest delays in cancer diagnosis in Latin America occur in the provider interval little is known about the related factors. This study aims to analyze factors influencing access to cancer diagnosis -from initial contact with health services to confirmation- from institutional stakeholders' perspective in public healthcare networks of Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. A qualitative, descriptive-interpretative study was conducted in two networks per country, using semi-structured individual interviews (n = 118; 23 to 58, per country) with a criterion sample of health professionals and administrative personnel from primary care (PC) (n = 41) and secondary/tertiary care hospitals (n = 47), network managers and policymakers (n = 30). The final sample size was reached through saturation. Thematic content analysis was performed, segmented by country. The analysis reveals interacting factors that cause cumulative delays throughout the patient's diagnostic pathway within healthcare networks, with differences between countries. In all three, informants identify similar characteristics of the networks: structural (deficits in diagnostic resources; geographical accessibility), organizational factors (long waiting times, especially after referral), and the limited knowledge and experience of PC doctors, which all lead to delayed diagnosis. In Chile and Colombia, health policy barriers related to care rationing/prioritization policies that hampered access to tests, and in Chile, increased delays for non-prioritized conditions. Country-specific barriers related to the organization of healthcare system also emerge: in Chile, private services subcontracting and the voucher system for using them; in Colombia, the management of care by insurers (care authorizations; fragmented and short-term contracting of providers); and in Ecuador, underfunding of the system. The barriers most affect the elderly, those with low socioeconomic status, with limited support networks, and rural areas residents. The results reveal relevant barriers in access to timely cancer diagnosis which can and should be addressed with specific cancer diagnosis policies and general measures that strengthen public healthcare systems and networks.

Confucian culture and technological innovation: the long-term impact of informal institutions on regional progress in China

ABSTRACT Culture as an informal institution plays an important role in technological progress. Despite being a crucial informal institution in China, the influence of Confucian culture on technological innovation has been largely overlooked. This study uses Confucian academies data from the Tang to Qing Dynasties (618–1911) and Chinese city patent data from 2000 to 2017 to examine the long-term impact of Confucian traditional culture on regional technological innovation levels from an informal institutional perspective. The study finds that Confucian culture enhances regional technological innovation. In terms of influence channels, Confucian culture directly and indirectly exerts a positive long-term influence on the level of regional technological innovation through the mechanism of improving social trust levels. Further analysis indicates that the role of Confucian culture in fostering technological progress is more pronounced in regions with limited Taoist and Buddhist influences, minimal foreign cultural impacts, and a robust legal environment. This research sheds light on the intricate mechanisms through which informal institutions impact technological innovation, offering valuable insights for theoretical exploration.