Institutional Change

Abstract

This chapter reviews the current state of research on change processes from an institutional perspective. It examines the longitudinal progression of research, illustrating the generative processes that drive change, the patterns of change over time, the mechanisms underpinning change, and its key outcomes. It distinguishes variance and process studies and zooms in on process-based research (i.e., temporal progression of event sequences), discussing implications for organizations, and similarities and differences between theoretical models of change. We conclude by noting that our typology of change pathways situates extant research to reveal important blind spots in the literature that require more systematic attention.