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The iron cage revisited institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields

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DiMaggio, Paul J., Powell, Walter W.·2004·Advances in Strategic Management
DOI 10.1016/s0742-3322(00)17011-1
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Abstract

What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

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Research works printed but not linked: 23

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Metadata

Authors
DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W.
Venue
Advances in Strategic Management
Publisher
Emerald (MCB UP )
Published
2004-05-19
Pages
143-166
ISSN
0742-3322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/s0742-3322(00)17011-1
OpenAlex
W1993663609
Cited by
25,802
References
0
FWCI
1219.25
Type
book chapter
Language
en
Open access
green

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: The iron cage revisited institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1016/s0742-3322(00)17011-1
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DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (2004). The iron cage revisited institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. Advances in Strategic Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0742-3322(00)17011-1

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