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Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Advance Access originally published online on December 21, 2007
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 2009 19(1):165-187; doi:10.1093/jopart/mum038
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Escape from the Iron Cage? Organizational Change and Isomorphic Pressures in the Public Sector

Rachel Ashworth, George Boyne and Rick Delbridge

Cardiff University

Address correspondence to the author at ashworthre{at}cardiff.ac.uk.

Institutional theory suggests that organizations pursue legitimacy by conforming to isomorphic pressures in their environment. We extend previous research on institutional theory by distinguishing between two definitions of conformity (compliance and convergence) and by taking a comprehensive view of the organizational characteristics that might be subject to isomorphic pressures. This framework is applied to change between 2001 and 2004 in the internal characteristics of 101 public organizations in England. We find substantial evidence of compliance but more limited support for convergence. Furthermore, the impact of isomorphic pressures was stronger on organizational strategies and culture than on structures and processes. Thus, the relevance of institutional theory to change in the public sector depends on the definition of conformity that is used and the organizational characteristics that are examined.

The authors acknowledge the contribution to data collection from Gareth Enticott, Cardiff University. Rick Delbridge and George Boyne gratefully acknowledge the support of the ESRC/EPSRC Advanced Institute of Management Research.


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