Toward a Structural Model of Organizational-Level Institutional Pluralism and Logic Interconnectedness

In: Organization science, Band 28, Heft 6, S. 1150-1167

Abstract

In this article, we develop a structural model for studying how constellations of multiple institutional logics are instantiated at the organizational level. Conceptually, we complement an institutional logics perspective with structural interactionism and network theory and model a constellation as a nexus of organizational role identities and counterroles. The structure of such a nexus reveals degrees of differentiation and interconnectedness between logics as well as distinct interfaces. We validate and further develop our model through qualitative content analysis and semantic network analytical methods applied to the website of a large organization. Our study contributes to recent literature on institutional pluralism by further specifying the structural aspects of constellations of logics and different types of institutional pluralism (monolithic, fragmented, and modular). Specifically, we show how systems of role categories enable the identification of logics, and how multivocal roles create interfaces between them. We propose logic permeability as a structural attribute of a logic to describe the totality of interfaces it entertains with other logics within a constellation.