The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis [Paperback]

Walter W. Powell (Editor), Paul J. DiMaggio (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226677095 | ISBN-13: 978-0226677095 | Publication Date: October 25, 1991 | Edition: 1

Long a fruitful area of scrutiny for students of organizations, the study of institutions is undergoing a renaissance in contemporary social science. This volume offers, for the first time, both often-cited foundation works and the latest writings of scholars associated with the "institutional" approach to organization analysis.

In their introduction, the editors discuss points of convergence and disagreement with institutionally oriented research in economics and political science, and locate the "institutional" approach in relation to major developments in contemporary sociological theory. Several chapters consolidate the theoretical advances of the past decade, identify and clarify the paradigm's key ambiguities, and push the theoretical agenda in novel ways by developing sophisticated arguments about the linkage between institutional patterns and forms of social structure. The empirical studies that follow—involving such diverse topics as mental health clinics, art museums, large corporations, civil-service systems, and national polities—illustrate the explanatory power of institutional theory in the analysis of organizational change.

Required reading for anyone interested in the sociology of organizations, the volume should appeal to scholars concerned with culture, political institutions, and social change.

Product Details

• Paperback: 486 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (October 25, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226677095
• ISBN-13: 978-0226677095
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Major Works Collected with a Valuable Introductory Chapter, December 13, 1999

By 

Ross E. Mitchell "rossmitchell" (Mentone, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis (Paperback)

Powell and DiMaggio have collected a variety of major works in the sociology of organizations, all of which use some variant of neo-institutional analysis. Their introductory chapter helps to make clear why these works are "new" institutionalism, and how they do not take identical views. The importance of culture and symbolism is given much greater emphasis in all of the papers/chapters than will be found in more economic analyses of organizations. Like all collected works, variability in style and intended audiences (or targets of criticism) requires more effort from the reader. The time is well worth the effort. It is not possible to fully appreciate institutional analysis in politics, economics, sociology, or education without an understanding and awareness of the papers collected in this volume.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captures the heart of institutional theory, February 25, 2003

By 

"braydenk" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis (Paperback)

Sociologists who are trying to understand the basic theoretical principles undergirding the neoinstitutional framework will find this book indispensable. As other reviewers have said, Powell and DiMaggio include some of the foundational pieces of the new institutionalism. In addition, they include several pieces that were seen as groundbreaking (or at least attempting to innovate neoinstitutional thought) at the time this book was published. For instance, papers by Powell and Friedland and Alford attempt to integrate notions of power and political interest into the otherwise top-down, culturally centered theory.

Potential readers should keep in mind that there are several new institutionalisms out there in social science. Those who want to understand the difference between rational choice, economic, and polity-actor versions of the theory will find the introduction by DiMaggio and Powell very useful. It has been one the center pieces of my theoretical toolkit in helping me to map out the conceptual distinctions between the variants of institutionalism.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A useful introduction to neoinstitutional theory, October 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis (Paperback)

Neoinstitutional theory has been one of the most influential approaches to sociology in the past 30 years. This book, which represents the "social constructionist" as opposed to the "ratoinal-choice" version of neoinstitutionalism, is useful because it pulls together some of the foundational articles in this field and also places them in context.