Institutional theory - Decoupling

8 important questions on Institutional theory - Decoupling

What is policy-practice decoupling?

Within policy-practice decoupling the actual practices of an organization are not aligned with the formal policies. The outcomes may or may not be aligned.

An example of policy-practice decoupling is greenwashing or blue washing.

Simply stated: you say A, but you do B.

Within policy-practice decoupling the term strategic manipulation is discussed. What's meant by that?

And what is the role of legitimacy spillover related to the term strategic manipulation?

Organisations influence social expectations by manipulating the perception of central actors in the environment.

when organizations try to align themselves with legitimate organizations, we call it legitimacy spillover. This is a way to strategically manipulate.

What is means-end decoupling?

Means-end decoupling is about the intended outcomes. It states that you act in line with the policies. So, your practices and formal policies are aligned. However, the intended outcomes are not reached.

E.g. When everyone complies to the anti-corruption law, you think there is no corruption anymore. However, this is not true, there is still corruption.
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What is the reason of means-ends decoupling?

Although there is accountability and transparency in the means-ends decoupling, the intended outcome is not reached. This is due to field opacity.

Field opacity refers to the underlying causes of a certain problem that remain unsolved. E.g. Child labour. No one policy is perfect due to pluralism in our society.

What is the ongoing perspective, developed by Schembera?

The ongoing perspective is argues a continuous process to solve decoupling, using discourse (language) and negotiation.

It argues an ongoing process of sense making, with a central role of communication. This perspective looks at how people communicate and their willingness to contribute and adapt.

What is the difference between decoupling and substantive influence regarding strategic manipulation?

With both decoupling and substantive influence, there is manipulation of public perception. However, with decoupling there is no change of the organizational practices. In substantial influence there is a change in the organizational practices.

What is the link between the ongoing decoupling perspective and deliberative democracy?

They both search for a joint solution and outstanding the role of language in it.

What is moral reasoning?

With moral reasoning we refer to the participation of organizations in discourses with stakeholders and social groups to discuss the status quo and behavior.

This is also a link between the deliberate democracy and ongoing decoupling perspective.

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