TY - JOUR
T1 - Homogeneity and heterogeneity in information technology private standard settings - the institutional account
AU - Bunduchi, Raluca
AU - Graham, Ian
AU - Smart, Alison
AU - Williams, Robin
PY - 2008/7
Y1 - 2008/7
N2 - The IT (information technology) standardisation landscape is characterised by the increasing importance of private standard setting consortia, a greater convergence between the structural features of formal and private standard organisations, and greater diversity in standard organisations. Institutional theory has been applied to explain the convergence of standard setting bodies. This paper applies institutional theory to four studies of standards organisations, showing that there are indeed homogenising mimetic, coercive and normative forces in standard setting that lead to the convergence of emergent organisations with the institutional features, but that there are also forces promoting heterogeneity, in particular the multiplicity of institutional fields within which standards consortia operate, leading to a complex, and often conflicting, matrix of institutional norms to be accommodated.
AB - The IT (information technology) standardisation landscape is characterised by the increasing importance of private standard setting consortia, a greater convergence between the structural features of formal and private standard organisations, and greater diversity in standard organisations. Institutional theory has been applied to explain the convergence of standard setting bodies. This paper applies institutional theory to four studies of standards organisations, showing that there are indeed homogenising mimetic, coercive and normative forces in standard setting that lead to the convergence of emergent organisations with the institutional features, but that there are also forces promoting heterogeneity, in particular the multiplicity of institutional fields within which standards consortia operate, leading to a complex, and often conflicting, matrix of institutional norms to be accommodated.
KW - IT standards
KW - standardisation
KW - standard consortia
KW - institutional theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=46949092913&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09537320802141387
DO - 10.1080/09537320802141387
M3 - Article
VL - 20
SP - 389
EP - 407
JO - Technology Analysis and Strategic Management
JF - Technology Analysis and Strategic Management
SN - 0953-7325
IS - 4
ER -