Translating Institutional Change to Local Communities: The Role of Linking Organizations

We examine the processes and mechanisms of translating broader field-level change to the local community, drawing on insights from the inhabited institutions perspective and community-based institutionalism. In particular, we develop the concept of linking organizations as key actors in institutiona...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organization studies 2016-08, Vol.37 (8), p.1141-1169
Main Authors: Heinze, Kathryn L., Soderstrom, Sara, Heinze, Justin E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community
Foundations
Institutionalism
Organization theory
Organizational change
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Summary:We examine the processes and mechanisms of translating broader field-level change to the local community, drawing on insights from the inhabited institutions perspective and community-based institutionalism. In particular, we develop the concept of linking organizations as key actors in institutional change that connect the broader field and community levels. We use multiple forms of qualitative data, collected over a two-year time frame, to study the processes of a community foundation, the ‘Rainbow Wellness Foundation’, as a linking organization that engaged five community coalitions to embed a new wellness approach, locally. Our findings suggest that linking organizations interpret the central tenets of the approach, define them locally around relevant aims, and regulate community organizations’ adherence, to ensure legitimacy with the field. In addition, by engaging and negotiating with the community and helping manage ambiguity, linking organizations enable local ‘filling-in’ of these models with practices that meet community needs and interests. This study contributes to the literature on institutional change by identifying the activities of linking organizations as agents that translate broader field change, locally.
ISSN:0170-8406
1741-3044
DOI:10.1177/0170840615622068