Some peer-reviewed scholarly articles about institutional theory mention organizational theory without articulating the relationship between the two. Moshe Lans ([email protected])
No, I wouldn't see it as synonymous. In my view, institutional theory should be seen at a higher level of abstraction than organizational theory. Best regards, Christian Pirker
Moshe Lans Institutional theory and organizational theory are closely related fields within the broader discipline of sociology and management studies. While some peer-reviewed scholarly articles about institutional theory may mention organizational theory without explicitly articulating the relationship between the two, it's essential to recognize that they often intersect and complement each other in research and practice.
Here are a few key points to consider regarding the relationship between institutional theory and organizational theory:
While some scholarly articles may mention organizational theory in the context of institutional theory without explicitly elaborating on their relationship, the two fields are inherently interconnected and draw on each other's insights to advance our understanding of organizations and their environments. Researchers and practitioners often integrate concepts and perspectives from both institutional theory and organizational theory to develop more comprehensive analyses and practical solutions for organizational challenges.
I think it might be helpful to frame institutional theory (aka institutionalism) and organizational theory as closely related fields within the broader realm of sociology and management studies yet different in their individual focus and theoretical underpinnings.
Frist, the similarities: Both institutional theory and organizational theory focus on the organizational level. They examine organizations and their functioning within society, drawing from interdisciplinary domains (sociology, economics, psychology, and political science, to name a few) to understand organizational behavior and dynamics. Lastly, both theories are concerned with understanding the structure, processes, and behavior of organizations.
Secondly, the differences: Institutional theory primarily focuses on the influence of external social, cultural, and political institutions on organizations, while organizational theory tends to focus more on internal factors such as leadership, structure, and strategy. It can be framed as their scope of inquiry differs. Within that scope, the unit of analysis many times considers organizations as embedded within broader institutional contexts, whereas organizational theory typically focuses on the internal workings and dynamics of individual organizations. Institutional theory emphasizes the role of external pressures and norms in shaping organizational behavior, while organizational theory often employs a more micro-level, agency-focused perspective, examining how individual actors within organizations influence outcomes.
Institutional theory often takes a longer-term perspective, examining how organizations change and adapt over time in response to institutional pressures. In contrast, organizational theory zeros in more on short-term issues such as decision-making processes or performance outcomes. In this way, the theories' time horizons differ.
Hope this helps with your continued research.