How informality affects habitual improvisation in firms: insights from the Nigerian movie industry

Abstract Research has often underestimated the pervasive and global occurrence of informality because studies largely define informality as illegal economic practices. This study adopts a multidimensional view of informality to explain how and why firms habitually improvise even when they do not experience unexpected or extreme eventualities. We addressed this concern through a comparative ethnographic study of three film production crews in the Nigerian movie industry. Our findings unravel the multiple dimensions of informality and define habitual improvization. We build a theoretical model that traces the organizing principles of informality and how they affect the modes of implementation and outcomes of habitual improvization. Finally, we offer an agenda for future theoretical and empirical research on informality and organizational improvization.