One name for two concepts: A systematic literature review about meta‐organizations

Abstract

Existing literature on meta‐organization is divided into two distinct streams in organizational and management studies, with different definitions and boundaries, potentially leading to inconsistencies and theoretical misalignment. Can we disambiguate the conceptualizations of meta‐organizations, and what insights can be gleaned from this clarification? Using a systematic review of the meta‐organization literature, we propose a novel classification, distinguishing between meta‐organizations as ‘meta‐level actors’, rooted in the organizational perspective, and meta‐organizations as ‘orchestrated systems’, grounded in the management perspective. While synthesizing current knowledge about meta‐organizations, we highlight the commonalities, divergences and specificities of both perspectives. We contribute to the literature on meta‐organizations by bringing greater clarity to the field, by disambiguating the uses of meta‐organization, by outlining a state of the art for both new categories and by providing a detailed research agenda. We also provide fundamental insights about two distinct ways of meta‐organizing, that is creating order among and beyond single organizations through collectively decided social orders and orchestrated social orders.