افاق للعلوم
Volume 11, Numéro 4, Pages 173-191
2026-09-10
The Institutional Logics Perspective: A Critical Theoretical-analytical Reading In The Sociology Of Organization And Work
Authors : Kheiri Nouh .
Abstract
This article offers an original critical theoretical-analytical reading of the Institutional Logics Perspective (ILP) within the context of the contemporary sociology of organization and work. It departs from a central theoretical problematic concerning how to understand the interaction between institutional structure and organizational action under conditions of competing and shared institutional logics. The article traces the epistemological grounding of ILP within Neo-Institutionalism, analyzes the foundational contributions of Friedland and Alford (1991) and Thornton, Ocasio, and Lounsbury (2012), and uncovers the underlying epistemological assumptions regarding rationality, agency, institution, and legitimacy. It provides an in-depth conceptual analysis of institutional logic as a logic of meaning and practice, examines the core institutional logics (market, state, profession, corporation, community), and analyzes mechanisms of institutional pluralism and organizational identity formation. At a deeper level, the article presents a sociological analysis of how institutional logics shape organizational decision-making, power, knowledge, and legitimacy, highlighting dynamics of conflict, negotiation, and institutional adaptation. It also addresses institutional dynamics and organizational change through concepts of institutional complexity, hybrid organizations, and institutional work, analyzing the impact of contemporary transformations such as digitalization and platform economies. Beyond theoretical exposition, the article offers a rigorous epistemological critique revealing conceptual ambiguity, limited empirical measurement, weak causal explanation, and the neglect of power and inequality dimensions. It proposes integration pathways with Actor-Network Theory, Critical Sociology, and Foucauldian analysis. The article draws on empirical case studies from healthcare, higher education, public sector, and multinational corporations. It concludes with a critical theoretical synthesis that rethinks the concept of institution and institutional logic, highlights ILP's epistemological and explanatory limits, and discusses its implications for the future of organizational sociology while opening new theoretical questions.
Keywords
Institutional Logics; Institutional Pluralism; Sociology of Organization; Institutional Complexity; Hybrid Organizations; Institutional Work; Neo-Institutionalism; Organizational Identity; Power and Legitimacy; Organizational Change.
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