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Towards a Theory of Micro-Institutional Processes: Forgotten Roots, Links to Social-Psychological Research, and New Ideas

ISBN: 978-1-78769-128-5, eISBN: 978-1-78769-127-8

Publication date: 25 November 2019

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors weave together a set of ideas that lead us closer to a more general institutional theory – one that embraces multiple levels of analysis, including the micro-level. The authors build on the roots of micro-institutional thought – including phenomenological and ethnomethodological underpinnings – as well as very active, social-psychological research areas that address key mechanisms in institutionalization. Among these, the authors discuss the important roles of legitimacy, trust, social influence, and routines. There is great promise for micro-institutional inquiry to make an integral contribution to institutional theory by bringing processes and people back in.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Patrick Haack for encouraging us to write this chapter and for providing valuable feedback. We are also grateful to Willie Ocasio for his insightful comments, and we thank the panelists of the “Microinstitutionalism: Mapping a Research Agenda” Symposium at the 2018 Academy of Management Meeting in Chicago and the participants of the “Micro-Institutional Evolutionary Workshop” at UCLA for constructive discussions, which in part inspired this chapter.

Citation

Zucker, L.G. and Schilke, O. (2019), "Towards a Theory of Micro-Institutional Processes: Forgotten Roots, Links to Social-Psychological Research, and New Ideas", Haack, P., Sieweke, J. and Wessel, L. (Ed.) Microfoundations of Institutions (Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Vol. 65B), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 371-389. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0733-558X2019000065B029

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited