The DOI matches its Crossref record; 117 of the 119 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches
Abstract
This article synthesizes the large but diverse literature on organizational legitimacy, highlighting similarities and disparities among the leading strategic and institutional approaches. The analysis identifies three primary forms of legitimacy: pragmatic, based on audience self-interest; moral, based on normative approval: and cognitive, based on comprehensibility and taken-for-grantedness. The article then examines strategies for gaining, maintaining, and repairing legitimacy of each type, suggesting both the promises and the pitfalls of such instrumental manipulations.
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In the citing paper
“…a generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are (desirable), proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions. (Suchman 1995, 574)”
From Algorithmic Governance: Experimental Evidence on Citizens' and Public Administrators' Legitimacy Perceptions of Automated Decision‐Making (2026) · cites this paper as Suchman 1995
In the citing paper
“Conformity to cognitive institutions confers legitimacy, which help firms to create public acceptance, political protection and venture capital mobilization (Suchman, 1995).”
From Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective (2010) · cites this paper as Suchman, 1995
In the citing paper
“Discourse analysts added interactive dimensions by addressing collective sensemaking around specific issues.Because collective sense-making is an ongoing process, the interpretations sediment into particular discourses, i.e. ways of talking and thinking about issues (Hajer, 1995).Discourses contain deep structural elements that are framed by actors in particular ways.This discursive framing is a”
From Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective (2010) · cites this paper as Suchman, 1995
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Metadata
- Authors
- Suchman, M. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Corresponding author
- Suchman, Mark C.
- Venue
- The Academy of Management Review
- Publisher
- Academy of Management
- Published
- 1995-07
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 571
- ISSN
- 0363-7425 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2162412465
- Cited by
- 19,903
- References
- 119
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2681 · 2025: 1654 · 2024: 1347 · 2023: 1207 · 2022: 1227 · 2021: 1174 · 2020: 1231 · 2019: 1123 · 2018: 948 · 2017: 865 · 2016: 807 · 2015: 769 · 2014: 768 · 2013: 729 · 2012: 572
- FWCI
- 29.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Academy of Management Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Organizational Strategy and Culture
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Corporate Identity and Reputation
- Keywords
- organizational legitimacy, legitimacy management, pragmatic legitimacy, moral legitimacy, cognitive legitimacy, legitimation strategies, legitimacy maintenance, institutional theory
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