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Rethinking Institutions and Organizations
Author(s) -
Greenwood Royston,
Hinings C. R.,
Whetten Dave
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of management studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.398
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1467-6486
pISSN - 0022-2380
DOI - 10.1111/joms.12070
Subject(s) - scholarship , perspective (graphical) , institutional theory , field (mathematics) , institutional analysis , public relations , sociology , positive economics , institutional logic , organizational theory , organization studies , political science , business , economics , social science , management , law , computer science , mathematics , artificial intelligence , pure mathematics
Abstract In this P oint– C ounterpoint article we argue that institutional scholarship has become overly concerned with explaining institutions and institutional processes, notably at the level of the organization field, rather than with using them to explain and understand organizations. Especially missing is an attempt to gain a coherent, holistic account of how organizations are structured and managed. We also argue that when institutional theory does give attention to organizations it inappropriately treats them as though they are the same, or at least as though any differences are irrelevant for purposes of theory. We propose a return to the study of organizations with an emphasis upon comparative analysis, and suggest the institutional logics perspective as an appropriate means for doing so.