Institutional Logics Theory Research Articles

Customer Healthcare Complaints in Brazil Are Seldom about Medical Errors.

This study reviewed different country studies and noted that complaints in Brazil are more concentrated in complaints about being attended to and receiving access to services, rather than about clinical quality and safety issues. This paper explores the possible explanations for these differences based on the institutional logics theory and which logics actors privilege, and how they may play out in the healthcare field. To accomplish this undertaking, this study makes use of the healthcare complaint categorization developed by Reader and colleagues, which has been used by various studies. Next, a set of studies about healthcare complaints in different countries was examined to analyze the issues most common in the complaints and compare this information with the Brazilian data. This study identified three explanations why complaints about medical errors seldom occur. One group of studies highlights the hardships of local health systems. Another focuses on patient behavior. Finally, the third kind focuses on the issue of power to determine health orientation. The studies about a lack of resources do not directly explain why fewer complaints about clinical quality occur, thus helping to stress the management issues. Patient behavior studies indicate that patients may be afraid to point out medical errors or may be unaware of the procedures of how to do so, suggesting that family logic is left out of the decisions in the field. The third group of work highlights the prominence of the medical professional logic, both in terms of regulation and medical exercise.

The Strategic Evolution of Institutional Logics Across Social Entrepreneurial Process: A Multiple Case Study

Abstract Although a hybrid logic is widely recognized as the best institutional logic for social enterprises, why and how such a hybrid logic works for social enterprises is under-explored. Based on the institutional logic theory, we conduct a multiple-case study to investigate how and why the two competing logics are combined to form a hybrid logic during social entrepreneurial process. Data are collected from the in-depth semi-structured interviews with social entrepreneurs from three leading social enterprises in China. We categorize a hybrid logic model as a dominant logic model, which includes a social-dominant logic model and a commercial-dominant logic model, and an equality of dual logic model. We find that the adoption of a hybrid logic is affected by the type of a social enterprise and the motivation to acquire different legitimacy. Specifically, an integrated social enterprise adopts a commercial-dominant logic model while an external social enterprise employs a social-dominant logic model to achieve sustainability. An embedded social enterprise can adopt an equality of dual logic model from its establishment. Our study contributes to research on strategic social entrepreneurship by revealing the dynamic relationship among different types of social enterprises, the adoption of a hybrid logic at different entrepreneurial stages, the motivation to acquire different legitimacy, and business outcomes.

Investigating stakeholder rationales for participating in collaborative interactions at the policy–science nexus

Contemporary politics has become increasingly reliant on scientific knowledge. In evidence-based policymaking, science is invoked to address complex, ‘wicked’ problems. Yet, policymakers do not necessarily base decisions on the best-available evidence, and models of knowledge used in policymaking have long been criticised as simplistic. Therefore, collaboration with non-scientific actors has emerged as a possible way forward. On both sides of the policy–science nexus, collaborative interactions are extended to include ‘stakeholders’ to improve the impact of knowledge (that is, its usability and applicability). And while stakeholder involvement often follows this overarching justification, the question of stakeholder rationales for participating in these processes has previously received little scholarly attention. To address this gap, this article analyses stakeholder rationales, asking why organisations get involved in collaborative research. The theoretical expectations about divergent organisational rationales, drawing on theories of institutional and organisational logics, are investigated through an exploratory case study of stakeholders engaged in collaborative research projects in Norway. The theoretical and empirical analysis form the basis for a proposed new typology of stakeholder rationales. In this way, the article contributes towards the development of better tools for understanding and assessing the sources and potential pathways of knowledge, shaped by self-interested actors, making its way into policymaking processes, often as ‘neutral’ evidence.

The Role of Institutional Logics in Shaping Sustainable Talent Management: A Comparative Study of Two South Korean Conglomerates

This research examines the evolution of human resource management (HRM) practices within Samsung and Lotte, two major South Korean conglomerates. Both companies have been profoundly influenced by the Japanese management paradigm, especially in areas like seniority-based promotion rooted in Confucian values. Drawing from institutional theory, the study elucidates how similar economic trajectories in South Korea and Japan fostered comparable institutional logics and pressures in HRM. However, as organizations navigate institutional shifts, their responses and resulting HRM adaptations can diverge. Utilizing a comparative approach through the lens of the institutional logic theory, key findings unveil as follows: (1) Samsung and Lotte’s HR practices exhibit a strong Japanese influence, highlighting cultural/historical context’s importance. (2) Despite similar pressures, the conglomerates developed distinct HR practices attributed to differing institutional logics. (3) Institutional logics play a pivotal role in shaping HRM and influencing organizational behavior. (4) Organizations adapt HR practices in response to institutional complexities, leading to practice divergence. (5) The study extends institutional theory’s application in understanding organizations’ varied responses to similar pressures. (6) Findings offer HR professionals insights on tailoring strategies based on contextual understanding. The study extends the application of institutional theory in deciphering varied organizational responses. Practically, it provides HR professionals guidance on contextually appropriate HRM strategies. Companies across Asia can leverage these insights to anticipate HR practice shifts and align them with evolving institutional frameworks.

Institutional configurations and social entrepreneurship: a country-based comparison using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

PurposeIntegrating institutional logic theory with institutional configurational perspective, this study proposes a theoretical framework to explore the configurational effect of multiple institutional logics, including state, market, and social logics, on social entrepreneurship (SE) participation.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey combined with other international databases, this study applies a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify the pathways that how state, market and social logics jointly promote or hinder high SE prevalence among 38 developing countries.FindingsResults show that high SE prevalence rates are achieved through the interaction of multiple institutional logics rather than by any single factor and identify three institutional configuration pathways leading to high SE participation. Further, the pathways impeding high SE participation are not simply the negation of conditions that lead to high SE prevalence.Research limitations/implicationsThis study not only extends the institutional logics perspective to SE, enriching the growing research stream on how institutional complexity shapes entrepreneurial activities globally, but also underscores the significance of asymmetric institutional conditions in determining the presence and absence of high SE prevalence. These results have implications for policymakers to improve entrepreneurial institutional configurations that foster social entrepreneurial activities.Originality/valueCompared with conventional statistical methods, which have limited effectiveness in exploring the synergies of multiple factors, the fsQCA method offers a more robust analysis of the causal complexity of institutional logics promoting or discouraging SE participation.

The impact of institutional logics on specifications quality: investigating the mediation effects of legitimacy and stewardship behaviour

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between institutional logics and specifications quality, and how this relationship is mediated by the legitimacy of the procurement process and stewardship behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on insights from institutional logics theory, and legitimacy and stewardship behaviour literature. We conducted an extended literature review to gain a comprehensive understanding of “institutional logics” and their manifestations in organizational contexts, utilizing the 2000–2024 data collected from the EBSCO, Scopus and Web of Science databases, complemented with Google Scholar. We gather that institutional logics manifest in several forms, and that while some organizations may thrive on a single logic, in certain contexts institutional logics can manifest in combinations – “multiple logics or hybrids”. Based on this understanding, we developed testable research hypotheses, predicting the influences of institutional logics – professional logic, efficient service logic and delivery (market) logic, on legitimacy, stewardship behaviour and specifications quality. We then carried out an empirical study, adopting a quantitative cross-sectional survey design with a self-administered questionnaire to test the hypothesized relationships. The empirical data were obtained from 162 procuring and disposing entities in Uganda and analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.FindingsThe study findings reveal that institutional logics exert a strong positive effect on the legitimacy of the procurement process and on stewardship behaviour, which, in turn, both positively influence specifications quality.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings have implications for theory and practice. The study findings provide useful insights that support the conceptual and theoretical development of institutional logics theory and applications in procurement literature. In addition, the study findings enhance procurement managers’ understanding of the mechanisms through which institutional logics can foster specifications quality. However, considering the fact that the study was conducted in a single country context, and focused on the public sector only, the findings of the study might not be generalizable globally.Originality/valueThis study contributes to established knowledge about quality management and procurement by examining the legitimacy of the procurement process and stewardship behaviour of those involved in procurement processes as mechanisms through which procuring entities are able to use institutional logics to enhance specifications quality. In addition, the study highlights areas for future research that may be explored to increase understanding of the value of institutional logics in ensuring specifications quality, and the link between specifications quality and the general performance of procuring entities.

Social purpose branding approaches: a typology of how brands engage with a social purpose

PurposeAs brands progressively become instruments for consumers to advocate for social change, many feel pressure to engage in social purpose branding (SPB) through addressing social issues. In a rush to remain socially relevant, brands have approached SPB differently; some genuinely intend to advance the social issue, while some intend to capitalise on social movements to mobilise the brand. This paper aims to explain these differences by theoretically outlining various approaches to SPB.Design/methodology/approachThis mixed method paper draws on theory, interviews with marketing practitioners, and practical exemplars to present a typology of SPB approaches. FindingsUsing institutional logics theory, SPB is categorised into four approaches: social purpose-driving, social purpose-driven, social purpose-aligning and social purpose-washing.Research limitations/implicationsThe typological framework for SPB advances this domain to outline effective and ineffective ways for brands to engage with social issues. A detailed agenda for further research is provided to guide ongoing SPB research. Practical implicationsThe typology presented reduces complexity and helps marketers understand the different approaches to engaging with a social issue. Given the growing intertwinement of brands and social issues, this research is essential for brands seeking to advance a social issue and remain relevant.Originality/valueThis paper offers a novel conceptualisation of SPB by defining it, identifying a framework of its characteristics, and detailing four SPB approaches.

Due Process and Unintended Consequences: Contradictions Between Campus Sexual Assault Support Services Create Barriers for Service Delivery

ABSTRACT Changes in Title IX policy feature questions about due process and procedures, however campus response to sexual violence includes a wide array of support professionals each with their own guiding principle, or institutional logic. Building on prior research identifying contradictions between service professionals and the theory of institutional logics, this study draws on a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with service professionals from two universities to further examine the root of these contradictions that restrict vital services to student victims. Findings highlight how the Title IX logic of due process operates as a limit on confidentiality becoming a harmful contradiction to other units’ logics. Strategies to resolve contradictory logics that limit service provision for students through Title IX policy are discussed.

Competitive strategy and circular economy practice implementation toward corporate sustainability performance

AbstractThe impact of competitive strategy on corporate sustainability and the role of circular economy (CE) practices remains scanty in the extant literature. This study therefore examines the mediating role of CE practices on the relationship between competitive strategy and sustainability performance. Drawing on the natural resource‐based view (NRBV) theory and institutional logics (IL) theory, this study explores a framework that introduces competitive strategy as an antecedent variable in advancing CE practices and sustainability performance among firms in a developing economy. Using data obtained through a survey of 380 firms in Ghana, the results revealed that competitive strategy has a positive and statistically significant relationship with corporate sustainability performance. Additionally, CE practices mediate the positive association between competitive strategy and corporate sustainability. Our research extends the frontiers of the literature by combining the IL and NRBV theories to explain how competitive strategy influences sustainability performance via CE practices.

Breaking the institutional logic or going under - Controllers and sustainability

PurposeThe present paper aims to focus on the role which German controllers play so far in the process of sustainable transformation in for-profit organizations, the current obstacles to a wider engagement here and ways to overcome these obstacles.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis combines two qualitative study designs. Empirical data is generated via a job advertisement analysis and an explorative survey with 107 subjects from management accounting/controlling and sustainability management. The generated data is interpreted against the background of the theory of institutional logics and Abbott’s (1988) theory of professional jurisdiction.FindingsWe find that controllers are in a state of tension. On the one hand, the pressure to integrate sustainability into companies is increasing. On the other hand, they seem to be rather reluctant to get involved. The institutional logics that shape their profession play an important role here, as does an unclear relationship with the sustainability department, which has its own claims here. Based on these observations, we identify the core obstacles to the transformation of the controllers’ profession and discuss solutions which can guide the transformation of this profession.Originality/valueThe present paper provides insights from a unique combination of different quantitative study designs and different perspectives on the possible role that controllers can play in advancing sustainable transformation in companies.

Working with the tensions of transdisciplinary research: a review and agenda for the future of knowledge co-production in the Anthropocene

Abstract Non-technical summary Transdisciplinary approaches for sustainability brings natural and social science researchers together with non researchers to fill gaps in scientific knowledge and catalyze change. By connecting diverse academic fields and sectors, it addresses complex problems and enables learning for problem solving. However, institutional barriers, funding constraints, time limitations, and evaluation criteria hinder collaborative progress. Our review reveals tensions at institutional and individual levels. Our findings underscore the significance of soft skills in assembling effective transdisciplinary teams. Embracing transdisciplinary science, as suggested by our review, can enhance problem-solving, and foster transformations for sustainability and resilience. Technical summary Sustainability challenges in the age of the Anthropocene require researchers and practitioners to collaborate across multiple academic disciplines and multiple professions outside of universities. In this paper we draw on theories of institutional logics to explore how those involved in transdisciplinary environmental research and practice draw on particular sets of values and norms but encounter challenges to collaboration. These institutional logics include (among others) seeking societal/environmental impact, commercial objectives, and academic knowledge generation. In this paper we review the growing literature on the research experience of transdisciplinarity in sustainability; discuss the processes of managing such research; and present a framework that outlines the challenges and tensions at each stage of the innovation/research process. We set out an agenda for managing tension that calls for recognizing the challenges, learning how to work with tensions, and building capabilities for future careers involving transdisciplinary research. The paper shows a key competence or skill for transdisciplinarians is the ability to develop complex collaborative relationships for sustainability drawing together different institutional logics, approaches, methods, goals, and values. Social media summary Transdisciplinary science: bridging disciplines, solving challenges. Soft skills and collaboration key to success.

Same position, different roles? How professional, organizational, and public policy logics shape frontline managers’ role conceptions

ABSTRACT This article integrates street-level bureaucracy and institutional logics theory to investigate how co-existing institutional logics shape frontline managers’ understanding of their managerial role. Based on 21 narrative interviews with managing medical doctors from 11 Danish public hospitals, the analysis shows that, although their formal positions are identical on paper, individual frontline managers understand their role in surprisingly different ways. The article contributes to extant scholarship by demonstrating that co-existing professional, organizational, and public policy logics are not only sources of cross-pressure; they also constitute important resources that allow frontline managers to conceptualize and enact different versions of their managerial role.

Perceiving IT affordances through the lens of multi-identity goals in rural governance information system

PurposeThis research aims to investigate the impact of the collaborative governance mechanism on the implementation of rural governance information systems in developing countries. By integrating institutional logic theory, affordance theory and social identity theory, the authors propose modeling grassroots officials' affordance perception process and exploring the importance of multi-identities’ information technology (IT) goals in affordance perception.Design/methodology/approachThrough an exploratory case study, the authors identified three affordances of rural governance information systems and investigated the mechanisms influencing the perception of these affordances among grassroots officials. Next, the authors established a research model and collected 490 valid questionnaires from grassroots officials in China and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe authors' study challenges previous assumptions by integrating institutional logic, affordance and social identity theories. The authors establish a perceived affordance path for rural governance information systems, recognize substitute effects among technological affordances and extend the theory to explain social factors influencing IT perception. The authors' findings suggest providing technical training for grassroots officials to enhance IT capabilities, and governments should prioritize essential functionalities in rural governance information systems to optimize resources. Training on collaborative governance mechanisms can improve IT affordance perception, enhancing digital platform utilization in governance processes.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted mainly in China, and therefore, the findings may not be universal to other developing countries. Researchers are therefore encouraged to test the proposal in locations with different rural cultures.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of IT perception in rural governance, the development of affordance perception theory and studying the relationship between IT goals and affordance perception.Originality/valueOverall, this paper addresses the need to understand how grassroots officials perceive IT affordances in rural governance and study the relationship between multi-identities’ goals and affordance perception.

Performing multi-subject interactions in hotels during crises: Evidence from textual and visual data

While the hospitality industry is particularly sensitive to disasters and crises, research overlooks the intrinsic mechanisms of multi-subject interactions in this industry that suffers from external crises. Integrating dramaturgy theory and institutional logic theory, we explore the performance and institutional logic of interactions among hotel managers, staff, and guests during crises. Textual and visual data analyses indicate the co-existence of prop performance, script performance, and power performance among different subjects. The institutional logic underlying different forms of performance demonstrates a regulatory, normative, and cultural-cognitive nature. The study further reveals the management strategies adopted to address conflicts arising from different institutional logics, and thus, contributes to the enhancement of organizational effectiveness during crises. The theoretical integration of dramaturgy and institutional logic theory offers valuable insights into the challenges and potential solutions faced during the daily operation of hotels, particularly concerning intricate interactions among different stakeholders during crises.

Restorative Justice in a No Excuses Charter School

Restorative justice practices are an increasingly popular approach to behavioral management, rooted in relationships rather than the behaviorist approach of many traditional forms of schooling. Research on restorative practice implementation demonstrates that schools rarely have time to consider cultural change, as they rush to reduce suspensions and discipline gaps. Presumably, this mismatch between culture and practice would be even more pronounced in a no-excuses charter, but this presumption warrants inquiry. Framed by theories of institutional logics, the current study examines an historically no-excuses charter school’s shift toward restorative justice. We find that a behaviorist, “no-excuses” logic inhibits teachers and administrators from embracing the cultural and ideological foundations of restorative justice, even as they express ideological and intellectual commitment to the shift in practices. We close with implications for school leadership and restorative justice implementation.

Challenges and Opportunities for the Implementation of Internal Audit to Realize Good University Governance in Private Universities in Central Java

This study aims to investigate the efforts and commitments, challenges, and opportunities for the implementation of financial internal audits at Private Universities in Central Java. This study used a qualitative method by conducting interviews with members of the Internal Supervisory Unit at four private universities in Central Java that were accredited as superior. Private universities’ efforts and commitments were analyzed using institutional work theory, while challenges and opportunities were analyzed using institutional logic theory. The results showed that private universities' efforts to implement financial internal audits were realized with the motivation to implement Government regulations related to the accreditation of private universities. The commitment of private universities is indicated by the preparation of Standards of Operations (SOPs) for the implementation of internal audits and the inculcation of organizational culture. The challenges faced by private universities are limited human resources and information system technology. The opportunities that private universities have are an independent internal audit body and the Rector's open and transformative leadership style. The implementation of internal financial audits at private universities requires effort and commitment from the Rector and members of the organization to face challenges both from within and from outside.

O.3.3-10 The why and how of co-production between professionals and volunteers: a qualitative study of community-based healthcare in Denmark

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the present study was to explore co-production in practice by examining how public health service and voluntary sports clubs collaborate to support people with chronic illness to participate in physical activity in a Danish community setting. Specifically, our research asked the following questions: Which institutional logics guide the practice of co-production in municipalities and voluntary sports clubs? And how do the involved stakeholders co-produce community-based healthcare? The study adopted a critical perspective on the use of co-production to promote physical activity by linking public health service and voluntary sports clubs. Methods The study used a critical case study approach to examine the practice of co-production. The analysis was built on qualitative data from nine semi-structured interviews, two information interviews and project documents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded drawing on the theory of institutional logics. Results The findings document how the interplay between professionals and volunteers has implications in their everyday practice and offer three central insights into the practice of co-production: Firstly, in the process of co-production the interplay between different and sometimes contradictory logics may lead to conflict, dilemmas, feelings of conflicting pressures and unfulfilled expectations amongst the involved stakeholders. Secondly, the study offers examples of how different logics can be combined and balanced. Here, the stakeholders especially draw on strategies based on the network logic, which facilitates mutual understanding and matching of expectations. Thirdly, the study highlights context-specific variation, where co-production emerged as highly contingent, reflecting the dynamic interaction between logics and the context-specific management by the involved professionals and the sports club volunteers. Conclusions This study makes an original contribution to the conceptual understanding of co-production in healthcare service, thus emphasising the benefit of paying attention to the network logic when building bridges between public healthcare service and voluntary sports clubs to promote physical activity – and to unite the seemingly contradictory “why” and “how” of co-production in practice. Support/Funding Source No funding to declare. Published in Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 2022, Vol. 43 No. 1/2, pp. 197-213. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0027

Do State Ownership Imprints Affect Innovation in Family Firms? The Estimation and Inference of a Panel Model with a Time Trend

In the realm of China’s bustling economy, a fascinating dynamic exists between family businesses and state-owned enterprises, characterized by a symbiotic relationship and collaboration. Many family firms today originate from state-owned enterprises. Hence, their earlier ownership institution can influence privatized family firms. However, the impact of this privatization on long-term strategic orientation is not clear. This study endeavors to shed light on this complex matter through meticulous examination, employing estimation and inference techniques through the use of a panel model with a discernible time trend. Combining both imprinting theory and institutional logic theory, this study finds that state ownership imprints intervene in the strategic outcomes of family firms: Privatized family firms induce a lower level of innovation as compared to non-privatized family firms. This research also finds that intergenerational succession weakens this effect while the proportion of state-owned shares strengthens it. Robustness tests, utilizing the PSM method, have been conducted to validate the credibility and reliability of the findings obtained through this study. The findings of this research serve as a testament to the ever-evolving dynamics and interconnectedness prevalent within the intricate tapestry of China’s economic landscape.

Ecosystems of doing business and living standards: a configurational analysis based on Chinese cities

Purpose This paper aims to explain the causal complexity between ecosystems of doing business and living standards based on the theoretical model of the ecosystem of doing business proposed by Li (2019) and Du et al. (2020). By integrating ecological theory, transaction cost theory and institutional logics theory, this study explored effective ecosystems of doing business that achieve high living standards and explained the interpretive mechanisms behind different ecosystems of doing business. Moreover, this study also analyzed whether there were any necessary elements that lead to high living standards and discussed how the interactions between these elements influence carrying capacity and transaction costs from government logic and market logic, thus affecting living standards. Design/methodology/approach In this study, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) were combined to analyze the data from the 2020 China City Statistical Yearbook, covering the main socioeconomic statistical data of cities at all levels in 2019. Findings This study found that no individual factor of the ecosystems of doing business was necessary to achieve high living standards, but the high level of human capital, innovation capacity, financial access and market demand play a significant role in achieving high living standards. Furthermore, two effective types of ecosystems of doing business lead to high living standards, namely, market dominance (government’s “invisible hand” or “nudging hand”) and government–market logic mutualism/symbiosis (government’s “helping hand”). Originality/value First, this work found that individual elements were not a necessary condition for high living standards, not only in kind but also in degree, complementing fsQCA with NCA, which indicates that environmental elements can be substituted by others. Second, this study considered the complex effects and explained the mechanisms behind different ecosystems of doing business, drawing on ecological theory, transaction cost theory and institutional logics theory from a configurational perspective. This study deepened the theories’ applications in the field of living standards and further discussed the elements interactions. Third, this study introduced configurational perspective and QCA into living standards research and adopted a mixed method that combines fsQCA and NCA to analyze the causal complexity between ecosystems of doing business and people’s living standards.

Analytical Lens for Investigating CSOs and State Relations: The Contributions of Coproduction and Institutional Logics Perspectives

Abstract The 1990s saw what Della Porta (2020. “Building Bridges: Social Movements and Civil Society in Times of Crisis.” Voluntas 31 (5): 938–48) calls the renaissance of civil society, from which studies on the relations between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the state grew exponentially. Based on this context, this theoretical essay aims to demonstrate how the theories of coproduction and institutional logics can be used in a complementary way to understand these relations. We use a qualitative methodology of extensive literature review and study of the proposed concepts. We identify six contributions of this complementary use: (i) CSOs-state coproduction processes take place on institutional fields, (ii) Coproduction encompasses the mobilization of institutional logics’ material and symbolic resources, (iii) Structural mechanisms influence coproduction, (iv) Institutional logics bring both collaboration and conflict dimensions into coproduction processes, (v) Coproduction helps operationalize studies in institutional logics, and (vi) Institutional logics influence coproduced results. We hope that our theoretical–analytical contributions can be applied in empirical studies and improved in the future.