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neo-institutional theory  

Definition

  • Neo-institutional theory is advancing one of the dominant approaches (institutional theory) to understanding organizations. It provides answers to questions such as: How and why do organizations change under the influence of their environment or institutional context? How and why do they adopt new ways of organizing, managing, and communicating? Whereas institutional theory reasoned that members of organizations ritualize the enactment of organizations, neo-institutional theory is based on the principle that organizations change their behavior, not so much out of rationality or a need for effectiveness, but because of their search for legitimacy. [Source: Encyclopedia of Public Relations; Neo-Institutional Theory]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/neo-institutional_theory

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