Thomas B Lawrence | University of Oxford (original) (raw)

Papers by Thomas B Lawrence

Research in the Sociology of …, Jan 1, 2010

The places in which organizational life occurs can have profound impacts on actors, actions, and ... more The places in which organizational life occurs can have profound impacts on actors, actions, and outcomes but are largely ignored in organizational research. Drawing on ideas from social geography, we explore the roles that places play in institutional work. The context for our study is the domain of housing for the hard-to-house, within which we conducted two qualitative case studies: the establishment of Canada’s first residential and day-care facility for people living with HIV/AIDS, and the creation of a municipal program to provide temporary overnight accommodation for homeless people in local churches. In examining these cases, we found that places played three key roles: places contained, mediated, and complicated institutional work. Each of these roles was associated with a distinct ontology of place: places as social enclosures, as signifiers, and as practical objects. Our findings have significant implications for how we understand the relationship between location and organizations and allow us to develop a process model of places, institutions, and institutional work.

The study of institutional work has emerged as a dynamic research domain within organization stud... more The study of institutional work has emerged as a dynamic research domain within organization studies.
In this essay, we situate the papers published in the Special Issue. We first review the evolution of
institutional work as a scholarly conversation within organization studies. We then introduce the papers
in the Special Issue, focusing in particular on where they fit into the current scholarly conversation and
how they move us in important new directions. Finally, we discuss a set of neglected issues that deserve
further attention.

In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important ... more In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important implications for the strategic management of new ventures. In this paper, we argue that the dynamics of competition, success, and failure for new ventures have been significantly altered by the convergence of electronic technologies and the growing importance of knowledgebased assets. We proceed from the traditional argument that relates first-mover advantage positively and liabilities of newness negatively to entrepreneurial success. The extremely high failure rate of new firms suggests that traditional startups have typically been overwhelmed by liabilities of newness. We then argue that two features of firms competing in the new economyknowledge-based assets and "virtual embeddedness" -work to diminish the effects of the liabilities of newness and increase returns to first movers, consequently increasing the probability of success for pioneering new ventures.

Journal of Management Studies, 2012

We examine the roles of episodic and systemic forms of power in radical organizational change. Dr... more We examine the roles of episodic and systemic forms of power in radical organizational change. Drawing on a study of three attempted transformations in professional service firms from traditional professional partnerships into managed professional businesses – one relatively complete and two incomplete – we identify two key mechanisms that link episodic and systemic forms of power and show how those mechanisms affect the likelihood that organizations will be able to successfully undergo radical change. We find that episodic power is able to initiate and energize radical change when it represents a significant break from traditional authority structures and is legitimated through appeals to traditional organizational values. We find that systemic power is able to institutionalize radical change when the systems associated with it are legitimated by the skilled use of language by key actors and then left to operate independently by those actors. By articulating the specific mechanisms that link episodic and systemic power, our study provides a more complete model of the role of power in radical change, enabling better prediction of the likelihood of successful transformation and a fuller theoretical explanation of change outcomes.

Administrative Science Quarterly, 2010

We draw on an in-depth longitudinal analysis of confl ict over harvesting practices and decision ... more We draw on an in-depth longitudinal analysis of confl ict over harvesting practices and decision authority in the British Columbia coastal forest industry to understand the role of institutional work in the transformation of organizational fi elds. We examine the work of actors to create, maintain, and disrupt the practices that are considered legitimate within a fi eld (practice work) and the boundaries between sets of individuals and groups (boundary work), and the interplay of these two forms of institutional work in effecting change. We fi nd that actors' boundary work and practice work operate in recursive confi gurations that underpin cycles of institutional innovation, confl ict, stability, and restabilization. We also fi nd that transitions between these cycles are triggered by combinations of three conditions: (1) the state of the boundaries, (2) the state of practices, and (3) the existence of actors with the capacity to undertake the boundary and practice work of a different institutional process. These fi ndings contribute to untangling the paradox of embedded agency-how those subject to the institutions in a fi eld can effect changes in them. We also contribute to an understanding of the processes and mechanisms that drive changes in the institutional lifecycle.

Journal of Management Inquiry, 2010

Institutional theory has energized a large and vibrant academic community, but it is largely unkn... more Institutional theory has energized a large and vibrant academic community, but it is largely unknown to managers and inconsequential with respect to the management of organizations. This is despite what the authors believe is an immense potential practical contribution. In this article, the authors suggest that institutional theory needs a gap year-a period in which core frameworks and insights from an institutional perspective are brought into contact with complex social problems. The authors focus on the study of institutional work and argue that an extended encounter with the world of participatory action research could lead to new answers to key questions and energize the development of institutional theory as both an academic and a practical project.

Academy of Management Review, 2010

Environmental velocity has emerged as an important concept but remains theoretically underdevelop... more Environmental velocity has emerged as an important concept but remains theoretically underdeveloped, particularly with respect to its multidimensionality. In response, we develop a framework that examines the variations in velocity across multiple dimensions of the environment (homology) and the causal linkages between those velocities (coupling). We then propose four velocity regimes based on different patterns of homology and coupling, and argue that the conditions of each regime have important implications for organizations.

Journal of Management, 2007

Although organizational control and power are often designed to diminish workplace deviance, they... more Although organizational control and power are often designed to diminish workplace deviance, they also have the capacity to incite it. This is because enactments of power that confront organizational members in their daily work lives can create frustration that is expressed in acts of deviance. In this article, the authors examine why power provokes workplace deviance in organizations and, specifically, how types of power affect the form that workplace deviance takes.

Sage handbook of organization studies, 2nd edition, 2006

Institutional approaches to organization studies focus attention on the relationships among organ... more Institutional approaches to organization studies focus attention on the relationships among organizations and the fields in which they operate, highlighting in particular the role of rational formal structures in enabling and constraining organizational behaviour. A key contribution of institutional studies has been the development of strong accounts of the processes through which institutions govern action.

Organization Studies, 2003

Organization, 2004

In this paper, we draw on a case study of the development of commercial whale-watching on Canada'... more In this paper, we draw on a case study of the development of commercial whale-watching on Canada's west coast to explore the role of macro-cultural discourse and local actors in the structuration of new institutional fields. We argue that the development of the commercial whale-watching industry in the area was made possible by broad macrocultural changes in the conceptualization of whales in North America. At the same time, however, the characteristics of the geographically distinct institutional fields that emerged depended on local action and the processes of structuration that those actions supported. The constitution of specific new fields required interested actors to engage in the institutional innovation and isomorphism that produced the unique networks of relationships and sets of institutions that constituted those fields.

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2007

In this article, we examine the impact of virtual embeddedness—the establishment of interorganiza... more In this article, we examine the impact of virtual embeddedness—the establishment of interorganizational connections through the use of electronic technologies—on the likelihood of new venture survival. We explore the effects of recent technological and social changes on traditional conceptions of the liabilities of newness. We argue that virtual embeddedness positively affects new venture survival by decreasing the liabilities of newness associated with a new venture's need to create and manage new roles and systems, lack of extant trust relationships, lack of social capital, and lack of economic capital. This argument has important implications for both the study and management of contemporary new ventures.

In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important ... more In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important implications for the strategic management of new ventures. In this paper, we argue that the dynamics of competition, success, and failure for new ventures have been significantly altered by the convergence of electronic technologies and the growing importance of knowledgebased assets. We proceed from the traditional argument that relates first-mover advantage positively and liabilities of newness negatively to entrepreneurial success. The extremely high failure rate of new firms suggests that traditional startups have typically been overwhelmed by liabilities of newness. We then argue that two features of firms competing in the new economyknowledge-based assets and "virtual embeddedness" -work to diminish the effects of the liabilities of newness and increase returns to first movers, consequently increasing the probability of success for pioneering new ventures.

Journal of Management, 2004

The Internet and other communication and information technologies have not only increased the eff... more The Internet and other communication and information technologies have not only increased the efficiency and effectiveness of existing forms of interorganizational connection, but have also made possible the emergence of a new form -"virtually embedded ties". Such ties have two essential features: first, they utilize electronic communication and information technologies; second, the use of those technologies allows them to overcome the exchange-related problems previously addressed through the formation of socially embedded ties. We argue that virtually embedded ties offer an important alternative to socially embedded ties in industries that are characterized by high levels of dynamism.

Academy of Management Journal, 2004

In a qualitative study of the emerging field ofHIV/AIDS treatment advocacy in Canada, we found th... more In a qualitative study of the emerging field ofHIV/AIDS treatment advocacy in Canada, we found that institutional entrepreneurship involved three sets of critical activities:

Journal of Management, 1999

Human Relations, 1998

Occupational communities represent boundedcultures populated bypeople with similar work identitie... more Occupational communities represent boundedcultures populated bypeople with similar work identitiesthat transcend organizational settings. In this paper,I examine the relationship between an occupational community's culture and its ability to controlstrategic resources that advantage its members. Drawingon an empirical examination of the Canadian forensicaccounting, I argue that reputation acts as a strategic resource, not only for individualmembers, but for the community as a whole. Thecommunity's practice standards and membership rules workto heighten the importance of individual practitioners' reputations, which in turn benefits clientcommunities by conferring legitimacy on their claims,and restricts entry into forensic accounting. The roleof reputation in Canadian forensic accounting serves to illuminate the importance of resources that,rather than being held in some proprietary fashion, areshared among actors who are, ostensibly, in competitionwith one another.

Journal of Management Inquiry, 1998

Research in the Sociology of …, Jan 1, 2010

The places in which organizational life occurs can have profound impacts on actors, actions, and ... more The places in which organizational life occurs can have profound impacts on actors, actions, and outcomes but are largely ignored in organizational research. Drawing on ideas from social geography, we explore the roles that places play in institutional work. The context for our study is the domain of housing for the hard-to-house, within which we conducted two qualitative case studies: the establishment of Canada’s first residential and day-care facility for people living with HIV/AIDS, and the creation of a municipal program to provide temporary overnight accommodation for homeless people in local churches. In examining these cases, we found that places played three key roles: places contained, mediated, and complicated institutional work. Each of these roles was associated with a distinct ontology of place: places as social enclosures, as signifiers, and as practical objects. Our findings have significant implications for how we understand the relationship between location and organizations and allow us to develop a process model of places, institutions, and institutional work.

The study of institutional work has emerged as a dynamic research domain within organization stud... more The study of institutional work has emerged as a dynamic research domain within organization studies.
In this essay, we situate the papers published in the Special Issue. We first review the evolution of
institutional work as a scholarly conversation within organization studies. We then introduce the papers
in the Special Issue, focusing in particular on where they fit into the current scholarly conversation and
how they move us in important new directions. Finally, we discuss a set of neglected issues that deserve
further attention.

In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important ... more In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important implications for the strategic management of new ventures. In this paper, we argue that the dynamics of competition, success, and failure for new ventures have been significantly altered by the convergence of electronic technologies and the growing importance of knowledgebased assets. We proceed from the traditional argument that relates first-mover advantage positively and liabilities of newness negatively to entrepreneurial success. The extremely high failure rate of new firms suggests that traditional startups have typically been overwhelmed by liabilities of newness. We then argue that two features of firms competing in the new economyknowledge-based assets and "virtual embeddedness" -work to diminish the effects of the liabilities of newness and increase returns to first movers, consequently increasing the probability of success for pioneering new ventures.

Journal of Management Studies, 2012

We examine the roles of episodic and systemic forms of power in radical organizational change. Dr... more We examine the roles of episodic and systemic forms of power in radical organizational change. Drawing on a study of three attempted transformations in professional service firms from traditional professional partnerships into managed professional businesses – one relatively complete and two incomplete – we identify two key mechanisms that link episodic and systemic forms of power and show how those mechanisms affect the likelihood that organizations will be able to successfully undergo radical change. We find that episodic power is able to initiate and energize radical change when it represents a significant break from traditional authority structures and is legitimated through appeals to traditional organizational values. We find that systemic power is able to institutionalize radical change when the systems associated with it are legitimated by the skilled use of language by key actors and then left to operate independently by those actors. By articulating the specific mechanisms that link episodic and systemic power, our study provides a more complete model of the role of power in radical change, enabling better prediction of the likelihood of successful transformation and a fuller theoretical explanation of change outcomes.

Administrative Science Quarterly, 2010

We draw on an in-depth longitudinal analysis of confl ict over harvesting practices and decision ... more We draw on an in-depth longitudinal analysis of confl ict over harvesting practices and decision authority in the British Columbia coastal forest industry to understand the role of institutional work in the transformation of organizational fi elds. We examine the work of actors to create, maintain, and disrupt the practices that are considered legitimate within a fi eld (practice work) and the boundaries between sets of individuals and groups (boundary work), and the interplay of these two forms of institutional work in effecting change. We fi nd that actors' boundary work and practice work operate in recursive confi gurations that underpin cycles of institutional innovation, confl ict, stability, and restabilization. We also fi nd that transitions between these cycles are triggered by combinations of three conditions: (1) the state of the boundaries, (2) the state of practices, and (3) the existence of actors with the capacity to undertake the boundary and practice work of a different institutional process. These fi ndings contribute to untangling the paradox of embedded agency-how those subject to the institutions in a fi eld can effect changes in them. We also contribute to an understanding of the processes and mechanisms that drive changes in the institutional lifecycle.

Journal of Management Inquiry, 2010

Institutional theory has energized a large and vibrant academic community, but it is largely unkn... more Institutional theory has energized a large and vibrant academic community, but it is largely unknown to managers and inconsequential with respect to the management of organizations. This is despite what the authors believe is an immense potential practical contribution. In this article, the authors suggest that institutional theory needs a gap year-a period in which core frameworks and insights from an institutional perspective are brought into contact with complex social problems. The authors focus on the study of institutional work and argue that an extended encounter with the world of participatory action research could lead to new answers to key questions and energize the development of institutional theory as both an academic and a practical project.

Academy of Management Review, 2010

Environmental velocity has emerged as an important concept but remains theoretically underdevelop... more Environmental velocity has emerged as an important concept but remains theoretically underdeveloped, particularly with respect to its multidimensionality. In response, we develop a framework that examines the variations in velocity across multiple dimensions of the environment (homology) and the causal linkages between those velocities (coupling). We then propose four velocity regimes based on different patterns of homology and coupling, and argue that the conditions of each regime have important implications for organizations.

Journal of Management, 2007

Although organizational control and power are often designed to diminish workplace deviance, they... more Although organizational control and power are often designed to diminish workplace deviance, they also have the capacity to incite it. This is because enactments of power that confront organizational members in their daily work lives can create frustration that is expressed in acts of deviance. In this article, the authors examine why power provokes workplace deviance in organizations and, specifically, how types of power affect the form that workplace deviance takes.

Sage handbook of organization studies, 2nd edition, 2006

Institutional approaches to organization studies focus attention on the relationships among organ... more Institutional approaches to organization studies focus attention on the relationships among organizations and the fields in which they operate, highlighting in particular the role of rational formal structures in enabling and constraining organizational behaviour. A key contribution of institutional studies has been the development of strong accounts of the processes through which institutions govern action.

Organization Studies, 2003

Organization, 2004

In this paper, we draw on a case study of the development of commercial whale-watching on Canada'... more In this paper, we draw on a case study of the development of commercial whale-watching on Canada's west coast to explore the role of macro-cultural discourse and local actors in the structuration of new institutional fields. We argue that the development of the commercial whale-watching industry in the area was made possible by broad macrocultural changes in the conceptualization of whales in North America. At the same time, however, the characteristics of the geographically distinct institutional fields that emerged depended on local action and the processes of structuration that those actions supported. The constitution of specific new fields required interested actors to engage in the institutional innovation and isomorphism that produced the unique networks of relationships and sets of institutions that constituted those fields.

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2007

In this article, we examine the impact of virtual embeddedness—the establishment of interorganiza... more In this article, we examine the impact of virtual embeddedness—the establishment of interorganizational connections through the use of electronic technologies—on the likelihood of new venture survival. We explore the effects of recent technological and social changes on traditional conceptions of the liabilities of newness. We argue that virtual embeddedness positively affects new venture survival by decreasing the liabilities of newness associated with a new venture's need to create and manage new roles and systems, lack of extant trust relationships, lack of social capital, and lack of economic capital. This argument has important implications for both the study and management of contemporary new ventures.

In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important ... more In the past decade, technological advancements have led to changes in the economy with important implications for the strategic management of new ventures. In this paper, we argue that the dynamics of competition, success, and failure for new ventures have been significantly altered by the convergence of electronic technologies and the growing importance of knowledgebased assets. We proceed from the traditional argument that relates first-mover advantage positively and liabilities of newness negatively to entrepreneurial success. The extremely high failure rate of new firms suggests that traditional startups have typically been overwhelmed by liabilities of newness. We then argue that two features of firms competing in the new economyknowledge-based assets and "virtual embeddedness" -work to diminish the effects of the liabilities of newness and increase returns to first movers, consequently increasing the probability of success for pioneering new ventures.

Journal of Management, 2004

The Internet and other communication and information technologies have not only increased the eff... more The Internet and other communication and information technologies have not only increased the efficiency and effectiveness of existing forms of interorganizational connection, but have also made possible the emergence of a new form -"virtually embedded ties". Such ties have two essential features: first, they utilize electronic communication and information technologies; second, the use of those technologies allows them to overcome the exchange-related problems previously addressed through the formation of socially embedded ties. We argue that virtually embedded ties offer an important alternative to socially embedded ties in industries that are characterized by high levels of dynamism.

Academy of Management Journal, 2004

In a qualitative study of the emerging field ofHIV/AIDS treatment advocacy in Canada, we found th... more In a qualitative study of the emerging field ofHIV/AIDS treatment advocacy in Canada, we found that institutional entrepreneurship involved three sets of critical activities:

Journal of Management, 1999

Human Relations, 1998

Occupational communities represent boundedcultures populated bypeople with similar work identitie... more Occupational communities represent boundedcultures populated bypeople with similar work identitiesthat transcend organizational settings. In this paper,I examine the relationship between an occupational community's culture and its ability to controlstrategic resources that advantage its members. Drawingon an empirical examination of the Canadian forensicaccounting, I argue that reputation acts as a strategic resource, not only for individualmembers, but for the community as a whole. Thecommunity's practice standards and membership rules workto heighten the importance of individual practitioners' reputations, which in turn benefits clientcommunities by conferring legitimacy on their claims,and restricts entry into forensic accounting. The roleof reputation in Canadian forensic accounting serves to illuminate the importance of resources that,rather than being held in some proprietary fashion, areshared among actors who are, ostensibly, in competitionwith one another.

Journal of Management Inquiry, 1998