Google'S Restricted Chinese Search Engine: Managing Contradictory Pressures To Maintain Institutional Strength
Laura Chen
University of Toronto, Canada
Abstract
Traditional institutional theories have been instrumental in understanding how institutions shape the behavior of organizations, yet they often fall short in comprehensively capturing organizational agency. This study addresses this gap by proposing a novel perspective that centers on the strategic management of dialectical tensions within the institutional environment as a form of institutional work. Drawing from the concept of discursive institutional work, this study introduces a dialectical model that emphasizes the dynamic interplay between institutions and organizations. Institutions frequently rely on discourses that are inherently ambiguous and rife with contradictions, fostering multiple interpretations. In response, organizations leverage these contradictions within institutional discourse to reframe dialectical tensions. This reframing enables organizations to assert strategic positioning in the face of ambiguity within the institutional environment, ultimately leading to adaptive changes in the organization itself. By examining how organizations navigate and harness dialectical tensions within institutional discourse, this research offers fresh insights into the complex interplay between institutions and organizational agency. This perspective sheds light on how organizations can actively shape their roles and trajectories within the multifaceted landscape of institutional environments.