Managing Institutional Complexity: A Longitudinal Study of Legitimacy Strategies at a Sportswear Brand Company
53 Pages Posted: 7 Jan 2016
There are 3 versions of this paper
Managing Institutional Complexity: A Longitudinal Study of Legitimacy Strategies at a Sportswear Brand Company
Managing Institutional Complexity – A Case Study on the Legitimacy Strategies of Puma
Organizational Implications of Managing Corporate Legitimacy in Complex Environments – A Longitudinal Case Study of Puma
Date Written: 2015
Abstract
Multinational corporations are operating in complex business environments. They are confronted with contradictory institutional demands that often represent mutually incompatible expectations of various audiences. Managing these demands poses new organizational challenges for the corporation. Conducting an empirical case study at the sportswear manufacturer Puma, we explore how multinational corporations respond to institutional complexity and what legitimacy strategies they employ to maintain their license to operate. We draw on the literature on institutional theory, contingency theory and organizational paradoxes. The results of our qualitative longitudinal study show that managing corporate legitimacy is a dynamic process in which corporations adapt organizational capacities, structures and procedures.
Keywords: Globalization, Legitimacy, Institutional Complexity, Paradox, Corporate Social Responsibility
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation