Academic literature on the topic 'Normative neo-institutionalism'

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an issue in the international banking industry, where each bank must assert its stakeholders, the social fabric and the natural environment. In the same time, legitimacy which has become one of the most critical issues for corporations, can be increased in the eyes of other stakeholders or institutions by structurally or procedurally adjusting to institutional influences. By conforming to three external institutional pressures (normative, mimetic and coercive), identified by DiMaggio and Powell (1983), organizations can build, support and gain legitimacy for their activities in specific institutional environments. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, this research highlights the input of neo-institutional theory in the CSR context in top Lebanese banks in Lebanon. Findings This paper aims to analyze the impact of neo-institutionalism and the role of stakeholders in legitimizing CSR practices in the Lebanese banking sector. Practical implications Top Lebanese banks cannot simply comply with institutional pressures to gain their legitimacy, they need to develop their CSR activities targeted toward legitimacy-building at the local level; as for managers they cannot simply adopt managerial perspectives instrumentally to gain societal support, they need to adapt such perspectives and practices to the local needs as expressed by their internal and external stakeholders. Originality/value Managers of top Lebanese banks need to proactively engage in managing institutional pressures by adopting and adapting legitimacy-seeking strategies. This study highlights that top Lebanese banks differ in their CSR orientation because of their ownership structure, number of employees and profitability.

Resumen: La naturaleza de este documento, emana de que el fenómeno de la corrupción se ha acentuado en la agenda pública de México y el mundo, de esa manera es que se busca aportar una forma diferente de tratamiento del fenómeno, a partir de la corriente Neonstitucionalista. El artículo descansa en la selección y revisión de distintas fuentes documentales como libros y artículos especializados de los principales exponentes de la corriente institucional. De esa manera, es que, en primer término, se exponen los primordiales planteamientos teóricos del neoinstitucionalismo. En un segundo momento se precisan las formas en que se manifiesta la corrupción en el ámbito internacional y local, así como su incidencia y riesgo para la economía mexicana, y finalmente, se exponen las principales acciones normativas para su combate.Abstrac: The nature of this document, emanates that the phenomenon of corruption has been accentuated in the public agenda of Mexico and the world, in this way is that it seeks to provide a different form of treatment of the phenomenon, from the Neonstitutionalist current. The article rests on the selection and review of different documentary sources such as books and specialized articles of the main exponents of the institutional current. In this way, it is that, in the first place, the main theoretical approaches of neo-institutionalism are exposed. In a second moment, the ways in which corruption is manifested in the international and local sphere are specified, as well as its incidence and risk for the Mexican economy, and finally, the main normative actions for its fight are exposed.

In this research, we compare interrelations between institutional settings and regional provision structures of continuing higher education (CHE) in England and Spain. The aim of the qualitative analysis is to identify and to compare country-specific linkages between national and regional policies, legal and financial regulations and their impact on providers, types of provision and target groups of CHE at the regional level. Theoretical assumptions of educational governance, environmental neo-institutionalism, and the sociology of conventions guide the analysis, based on expert interviews in England and Spain. Our research questions are: What modes of coordination of action to provide CHE are caused by national and regional regulations in England and Spain? How are these actions justified, and how do they influence regional CHE provision types and target groups in both countries? Interview-based findings show that national and regional regulations embrace hybrid modes of coordination of action regarding CHE provision in both countries. Specifically, centralised national policies in England and a mixture of centralised and decentralised legal frameworks in Spain impact regional CHE provision by universities, as does the scope of university autonomy in both countries. However, national frameworks only explain regional disparities in CHE provision to a limited extent. Less formal normative dimensions and social orders of university orientations and labour market demands also influence regional types of provision, concepts, provider cooperation, and adult CHE learners.

The article considers the leading and indisputable role of discursive practices in the existence of social institutions, especially in democratic governance. The necessity of searching for heuristi- cally effective approaches in the analysis of social reality in general, and especially modern soci- ality, is substantiated. In this context, the theoretical modernization of the institutional approach in the analysis of social phenomena by involving the concept of discourse in the structure of this approach is proposed. Emphasis is placed on the dual meaning of social institutions — as ways of organizing the life of society and as instances (mediums) of normative, through which the order of social life is constituted, reproduced, and changed. This solves the “rule-organization” dilem- ma in neo-institutionalism. It is transferred to the mode of two inseparable and complementary functions of the institute — normative and regulative. The analysis of those semantic, organiza- tional, and procedural loadings which carry out discursive practices inactivity of institutes of society is given. In particular, emphasis is placed on the complex structure of normativity em- bodied by the public institution. It should at least highlight the explicit normativity of the system of rules and regulations on the one hand, and the order of discourse created and maintained by this institution, on the other. Discourse corresponds to the normativity in its usability — as a real process of normalization of life. Normativity exists only by generating certain practices of speech, communication, and argumentation (conclusion). This becomes the basis for distin- guishing the concept of an institution as a discursive mode of existence of a social institution on the one hand, and as a way of organizing discourse in society (order of discourse) — on the other. Among the main social effects of institutions are the generation of trust as the basis of social relations and the longevity of cultural experience. Emphasis is placed on the complexity of the existence and activities of institutions: each institution is involved in the general discursive-com- municative field of society, and in turn, influences it.

Abstract In contrast to institutional studies based on comparisons between countries and based on a deterministic perspective that analyses the influence of institutions on the performance of the individual in emerging economies, the present research looks to the most recent versions of neo institutionalism and to the literature on entrepreneurship and international business in order to study (1) the existence of subnational institutional differences in emerging economies and (2) whether such differences relate to the international expansion of SMEs located in such territories. This study takes evidence from a sample of 296 entrepreneurs who founded their SMEs in the Federal State of Sergipe (Brazil) and analyses from a comparative perspective of six tourist municipalities located in that state. The results allow us to identify the existence of differences in the regulative, normative, and cognitive institutional dimensions between subnational territories and how such differences relate to the international expansion of SMEs located in each subnational territory.

The main objective of this case study is to understand how organizational values of a family business are influenced – or are the outcome of – the interactions between the controlling family, their employees, and the social context by which they are surrounded. To investigate this topic a case study research design was applied and a family-owned and -managed Aquatic Center was selected as the company in focus. First, the organizational values were determined through the application of semi-structured interviews and observations. The units of analysis for the case study were the Top Management Team (TMT) and the employees of the organization. The former is composed by three members of the controlling family and the latter by the employees who are in most contact with the TMT and the clients of the Aquatic Center. After the Thematic Analysis of the empirical data eight organizational values were identified. These organizational values, along with excerpts from the interview, were analyzed from a Neo-Institutionalist lens and three meaning systems were identified to be influencing the organization and its structures. These three meaning systems were labeled as (1) Swimming the Sport; (2) Health Club Business; and (3) The Owning Family. The set of rules, enforcement mechanisms, and effects that these three meaning systems have on the overall organization were also defined.

Climate change adaptation mainstreaming (CCAM) is considered an effective way of integrating climate change adaptation and sustainable development agendas in policy and practice. Conventional approaches to CCAM emphasise either: a) a technological response that focuses on ensuring climate change projections influence decision-making; or b) the need for CCAM to incorporate an understanding of the underlying drivers of vulnerability that expose people to climate change impacts. However, both approaches give inadequate attention to political and social conflict in shaping CCAM implementation. This dissertation presents a case study from the Republic of Kiribati to explore the role of political and social conflict in shaping CCAM. It argues that the Government of Kiribati, in partnership with United Nations Development Program (UNDP), via the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA), and the World Bank, via the Kiribati Adaptation Program (KAP), failed to effectively implement mainstreaming. Yet the KAP made more progress than the NAPA. Why was mainstreaming largely unsuccessful in Kiribati? Why did the KAP have more success compared with the NAPA? What does this case study tell us about the political and social pre-conditions for successful CCAM implementation? And what are the implications for CCAM policy and implementation in developing countries? In addressing these questions, I draw on normative neo-institutionalism and the notion of epistemic communities. Normative neo-institutionalism, and especially Olsen’s four pre-conditions for successful reform, provides a powerful framework for understanding the role of political and social factors in reform processes, while the notion of epistemic communities helps us to understand the nature of the values and actors that characterise these factors. According to this approach, successful CCAM implementation depends upon: a) a high degree of normative matching between the reform and implementing institution; b) a high degree of normative matching between the reform and the relevant society; c) a high degree of clarity about reformers’ intentions; and d) the capacity and resources of the institution implementing the reform. CCAM implementation in Kiribati was largely unsuccessful because: a) two competing coalitions became embroiled in political struggles over CCAM; and b) Olsen’s four pre- conditions for successful reform were not met. In regards to the first point, I show that the Ministry for Environment, Land and Agricultural Development formed a coalition with UNDP to support a vulnerability-based approach to CCAM, while the Office of the President formed a coalition with the World Bank to advocate for a technology-based approach. On the second point, I argue that the NAPA initially succeeded because performance against a majority of the pre-conditions was strong, but it ultimately failed because the government became disenchanted with the coalition’s vulnerability-based approach to CCAM. The KAP had more success long term because its coalition of support had greater resources and support from the government to push their technology-driven approach. However, tension within its supporting coalition led to reduced normative matching and capacity to support CCAM implementation. In policy terms, the implication is that CCAM strategies, and the step-by-step guides designed to inform implementation, should take politics and values into account.
Thesis (M.Phil.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences, 2017.