{"title":"Revisiting the scope and suggesting novel domains of institutional theory in the public administration research","authors":"Herman Aksom, V. Vakulenko","doi":"10.1177/01447394231191935","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In this conceptual paper, we aim to revisit key research themes in contemporary organizational institutionalism and by doing this, redirect attention of scholars in public administration towards the most promising domains of application of institutional theory. We propose to shift attention from enabling and power-induced framing of institutional theory towards understanding it as a theory that helps recognize and analyse institutional pressures, constraints and inertia that influence administrative reforms and other organizational change attempts in public organizations. We sharpen the focus of institutional theory, specify the boundaries of institutional explanations by analysing questions that lie beyond institutional theory domain of application and suggest most promising research directions. Thus, we warn against unnecessary inflation of the scope of a theoretical apparatus and “explaining” how actors create, change and disrupt institutions and propose how institutional theory can be applied to predict the patterns of success or failure of changes in the public sector.","PeriodicalId":44241,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Public Administration","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1000,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Teaching Public Administration","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01447394231191935","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
In this conceptual paper, we aim to revisit key research themes in contemporary organizational institutionalism and by doing this, redirect attention of scholars in public administration towards the most promising domains of application of institutional theory. We propose to shift attention from enabling and power-induced framing of institutional theory towards understanding it as a theory that helps recognize and analyse institutional pressures, constraints and inertia that influence administrative reforms and other organizational change attempts in public organizations. We sharpen the focus of institutional theory, specify the boundaries of institutional explanations by analysing questions that lie beyond institutional theory domain of application and suggest most promising research directions. Thus, we warn against unnecessary inflation of the scope of a theoretical apparatus and “explaining” how actors create, change and disrupt institutions and propose how institutional theory can be applied to predict the patterns of success or failure of changes in the public sector.
期刊介绍:
Teaching Public Administration (TPA) is a peer-reviewed journal, published three times a year, which focuses on teaching and learning in public sector management and organisations. TPA is committed to publishing papers which promote critical thinking about the practice and process of teaching and learning as well as those which examine more theoretical and conceptual models of teaching and learning. It offers an international forum for the debate of a wide range of issues relating to how skills and knowledge are transmitted and acquired within public sector/not for profit organisations. The Editors welcome papers which draw upon multi-disciplinary ways of thinking and working and, in particular, we are interested in the following themes/issues: Learning from international practice and experience; Curriculum design and development across all levels from pre-degree to post graduate including professional development; Professional and Taught Doctoral Programmes; Reflective Practice and the role of the Reflective Practitioner; Co-production and co-construction of the curriculum; Developments within the ‘Public Administration’ discipline; Reviews of literature and policy statements.