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This article studies the field of information management research in the light of the differences between approaches building on a "rational choice" epistemology and (new) institutional approaches. I broaden the definition of what may be included in information management research somewhat so that parts of the research field of Information Seeking and Use (INSU) are included and use literature from organisational theory as well as from political science to explain the differences in epistemology. The first part is devoted to defining the research field, the second part to studying underlying epistemological assumptions. The broader project from which this article is derived is my dissertation on how, and why, voluntary peace organisations in Sweden manage information, where some of the ideas discussed here will be used in a chapter on earlier research.

When social enterprises, being defined by their social mission and profitability, internationalize, they need to respond to institutional logics in the host country. By juxtaposing institutional logic and entry mode choice literature, this paper shows how social enterprises accommodate different institutional logics when they enter foreign markets. We collected data on Chinese healthcare reform, governmental policies and their changes, and conducted 36 in-depth interviews and three expert group meetings. By analyzing five non-Chinese hospitals entering China, we show how social enterprises, as hybrid organizations, respond to governmental, commercial, and social institutional logics, when entering a foreign market.

We analyze venue choices by interest groups-the extent to which a group lobbies the Congress, executive branch agencies, and the judiciary-and develop two types of models tested with Jack Walker's 1985 Study of Voluntary Membership Organizations. The first explains the degree to which a group is involved in each venue separately. The second examines a group's level of institutional involvement in comparison to the other branches. What explains a groups' greater utilization of Congress than the courts, of Congress than executive agencies, and of executive agencies than the courts?

Purpose: Focusing on the growing importance of Indian multinational corporations in the past decades, this paper aims to understand how establishment mode decisions in a foreign market can differ depending on a series of factors. Specifically, the authors examine how institutional distance, including cultural distance and political risk, could affect these decisions, and how international acquisition experience could moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The authors test their hypotheses using data from 114 outward foreign direct investments between 2000 and 2010. Findings: The findings suggest that experience in international acquisitions increases the likelihood of subsequent acquisitions in high-risk and culturally distant countries. Originality/value: By considering that the country of origin also matters, some differences among emerging-market multinational corporations (MNCs) may arise. Besides, since empirical research focusing on emerging-market MNCs is scarce, more empirical studies are needed to analyze the influence of cultural distance and political risk on some decisions. In the case of India, there are also additional motivations for analyzing those institutional factors. First, since this is a country with significant linkages to Western countries, it is interesting to know if the influence of cultural distance is similar or not. Second, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the relationship between political risk and establishment mode choice in the case of Indian MNCs. To fill this gap, the first aim of this paper is to analyze how cultural distance and political risk affect the establishment mode choice of Indian MNCs. Moreover, recognizing international experience to be an important factor in explaining international expansion, we focus on international experience interactions with sources of uncertainty inherent in the host market.

Abstract. Institutional research is ready to move to the next stage, the stage, as argued by this paper, should be characterized with a more comprehensive and integrated social sciences approach. The theoretical foundation for such a move exists, as the naturel connections between political institutions and economic institutions were well addressed by North, Fukuyama, and Acemoglu; the influences of cultural heritage on the institutional choices were aldo discussed by North and Huntington. Another shift in institutional research proposed by this paper is the change from the general solutions to the specific solutions because the institutional characteristics are individualized after considering the impacts of culture heritage. Through the data analysis of World Governance Index (WGI) and other development indicators this paper presents the connections between political and economic institutions and the unique characteristics of political orders and developmental paths of a few specific groups of countries. The paper also discusses the influences of cultural heritage on the institution's choice and transformation path. Finally the paper proposes an institutional research framework.Keywords. Institutional economics, Political economy, Comparative economic system, Comparative political system, World Governance Index (WGI).JEL. O43, P26, P51.

Using the theoretical framework of global sourcing with firm heterogeneity, we examine determinants of inputs sourcing choices of manufacturing firms established in the EU countries. To this purpose, we combine information on the ownership structure and company accounts from the Orbis data set with input-output data from the World Input-Output Tables (WIOT) and with information on institutional and regulatory factors at country level provided by international organisations. Our research findings indicate that manufacturing firms that source inputs intra-firm via foreign direct investment (FDI) across EU countries are larger, more productive, more intensive in tangible and intangible capital and less intensive in skills than manufacturing firms that source inputs at arm's length. The probability of integrating inputs by manufacturing firms across EU countries is positively linked with the strength of legal systems, flexibility of labour markets and negatively linked to corporate tax rates and financial development in host countries. Less efficient insolvency procedures are associated with a higher probability of sourcing inputs intra-firm via FDI relative to arm's length sourcing. The probability of sourcing inputs via FDI is negatively linked to sectoral restrictions to FDI and positively linked to the impact of service regulations on downstream industries.

Global rankings are creating a furore wherever or whenever they are published or mentioned. They have become a barometer of global competition measuring the knowledge-producing and talent-catching capacity of higher education institutions. These developments are injecting a new competitive dynamic into higher education, nationally and globally, and encouraging a debate about its role and purpose. As such, politicians regularly refer to them as a measure of their nation's economic strength and aspirations, universities use them to help set or define targets mapping their performance against the various metrics, while academics use rankings to bolster their own professional reputation and status. Based on an international survey (2006) and extensive interviews in Germany, Australia and Japan (2008), this paper provides a comparative analysis of the impact and influence of rankings on higher education and stakeholders, and describes institutional experiences and responses. It then explores how rankings are influencing national policy and shaping institutional decision making and behaviour. Some changes form part of the broader modernisation agenda, improving performance and public accountability, while others are viewed as perverse. Their experiences illustrate that policy does matter.

Este trabajo examina los determinantes de la elección institucional de la Argentina para la provisión de tres bienes públicos regionales: la seguridad interestatal, la democracia y los derechos humanos. A partir de un enfoque inspirado en el eclecticismo analítico, el trabajo considera, en primer lugar, la naturaleza del poder y las instituciones vinculadas a cada uno de estos tres bienes públicos. En segundo lugar, analiza las preferencias domésticas para cada bien y evalúa de qué modo se acomodaron a la naturaleza material e institucional de cada ámbito de cooperación o régimen internacional. El argumento principal es que la variación en la elección institucional responde a variaciones específicas en cada una de estas tres dimensiones. ; This article examines the determinants of institutional choice of Argentina for the supply of three regional public goods: interstate security, democracy and human rights. From an analytical eclecticism inspired approach, the article considers, first, the nature of power and the institutions involved in each of these three public goods. Second, it considers domestic preferences for each public good and assesses how they accommodated to the material and institutional venues of cooperation. The main argument is that the variation in institutional choice is a function of specific variations of each of these three dimensions. ; Este trabalho examina os fatores determinantes da preferência institucional da Argentina para a provisão de três bens públicos regionais: a segurança interestatal, a democracia e os direitos humanos. Partindo de um enfoque inspirado no ecletismo analítico, o autor considera, em primeiro lugar, a natureza do poder e as instituições vinculadas a cada um destes três bens públicos. Em segundo lugar, analisa as preferências domésticas para cada bem e avalia de que modo se acomodaram à natureza material e institucional de cada âmbito de cooperação ou regime internacional. O argumento principal é o de que a variação na escolha institucional responde a variações específicas em cada uma destas três dimensões. ; Fil: Merke, Mario Federico. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Despite the Thai state's long record of rice market interventions, historically politicians failed to leverage rice subsidies in their pursuit of political support, notwithstanding the large number of farmers in the country. Since Thaksin Shinawatra's election in 2001, though, each government has subsidised rice producers, although at varying degrees. What explains this change? This article traces the four-decade history of rice price support programmes. It is proposed that these policies be interpreted through the dual lens of institutionalism and public choice theory, demonstrating how political institutions have shaped incentives for politicians to cater to different constituencies. During the pre-1980 period, under authoritarian regimes, Thai leaders applied rice price policies to benefit urban consumers and the government. From 1979 through 2000, following implementation of the block-vote system, rice interventions were used to appeal to voting intermediaries like rice millers, as bargaining chips among competing parties and as stopgap measures to diffuse farmer protests. Since 2001, responding to the electoral system created by the 1997 constitution, politicians have appealed directly to the voting public, seeking broad-based support via subsidies. The analysis highlights the impact that shifting institutional incentives have on politicians' actions and thus the emergent policies.

Institutions (and institutional distance) are considered a central concept to the field of international business and dealing with a multitude of institutional environments is a front-and-center task for the global manager. However, exactly how institutions matter for foreign firm behavior and performance is a question that still puzzles the academic community. The inherent complexity of institutions is often singled out as one of the reasons for the current difficulty in understanding the role institutions play in international firm activities. This thesis explores the role of institutional complexity in international business research. It takes stock of current literature on cultural and institutional distance, identifies theoretical and methodological challenges associated with the use of different institutional theories, and advances our understanding of institutional research by demonstrating the importance of understanding and accounting for institutional complexity, both theoretically and methodologically. Empirically, this thesis discusses the role of institutions on a variety of phenomena, such as entry mode choice, foreign market selection, foreign subsidiary performance, MNE performance, and the effectiveness of rewarding managers with ownership. The central tenet of this thesis is that institutions and the ways they affect international business activities and outcomes possess multiple facets that each have the potential to influence the phenomenon of interest both simultaneously and divergently.

The research set out to examine the investment & economic suitability of Renewable Energy ("RE") assets for South African institutional investors. Data was collected through a series of structured and semi structured interviews and further triangulated and cross-checked through a thorough literature review of available policy documentation and academic literature. The limitations concerning this study have much to do with the nascent nature of the renewable energy program and therefore the lack of availability of hard economic and financial historical data. Further there is very little academic literature on renewable energy investing pertaining to a South African context. To mitigate some of the risks presented by the aforementioned limitations, interviewees were mainly subject-matter experts on the issue of RE investing and therefore provided key insights through a series of structured and semi-structured interviews. Within a South Africa specific context, there is very little academic material dealing with RE or infrastructure finance and investment. The implications of this study are therefore crucial in helping set the basis for the development of future theories around this and related topics. Interview discussions and review of other material revealed key themes, which allowed the researcher to discern some key findings: Firstly, there's a cautious but emerging consensus that the economic and financial features of RE assets make them suitable (and even attractive) for consideration in asset class allocation decisions. Further and related: the merging view was that RE assets could offer the benefit of both reducing risk and increasing expected returns within a given portfolio. A key related sub-theme and finding was the need to establish a common set of nomenclature, which would describe and ultimately help benchmark the economic and financial features of RE assets – the ability to benchmark financial and economic data being a key aspect of the asset allocation framework. Secondly data collected indicated that there is strong institutional support for government's energy policy and how it has been implemented to date. Thirdly, in working out the suitability of RE assets investors tend to default to comparable proxies such as bonds, equities, REITS. The emerging theme coming out of the data is that RE assets are likely to resemble fixed income assets in their financial and economic characteristics. Lastly, for all the emerging consensus in support of the government's RE policy, many investors seem to hedge their optimism and remain generally unsure and in some instances sceptical of the overall sustainability of the program, citing the fact that there are still too many unknowns regarding RE assets and their respective futures. This research therefore has some useful practical applications for institutional investors, hopefully further demystifying a sector that could be a lynchpin of the South African economy for some time to come.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) still stands today as one of the most influential governance models in the water sector. Whereas previous analyses of IWRM have focused on the effectiveness of the institutional models it embodies and on policy implementation gaps, we examine the meanings that IWRM discourses have given to water management issues and how these meanings have in turn supported certain policy choices, institutions and practices. We use discourse analysis to study IWRM discourses in Nepal, where IWRM was introduced as the guiding policy principle for water management more than a decade ago, but not yet operationalised. We argue that IWRM discourses have operated a discursive closure in policy debates, thereby limiting the range of policy and institutional choices perceived as politically possible. In particular, we found that the promotion of IWRM as an institutional holy grail has obscured critical issues of social (in)justice related to water resources development by promoting an apolitical and techno-managerial vision of water development, largely centralised and relying on expert knowledge. We defend the need to move away from institutional panaceas and towards deliberative processes that allow alternative voices, discourses and knowledge.

Publicado en: International Journal of Technology Management, 10: 622-641, 1995. ; This article reviews Spanish science and technology policy in the eighties. It assumes that these policies are not only the results of rational choice processes, but also the outcome of institutional arrangements and political battles. ; Peer reviewed

Purpose: This paper investigates the stalled adoption of a supplier park at Bridgend Engine Plant in the UK. It starts from the position that not all firms can or should implement the same set of practices. Design/methodology/approach: Critical incident technique and semi-structured interviews over five years were used to understand the influence of institutional and strategic choices during the implementation of a supplier park. A conceptual framework was developed to incorporate practices broadly associated with parks, i.e. improving supply stability, supply coordination, redefining the OEM/supplier boundary and enhancing interaction between co-located firms. Findings: The findings demonstrate a limited implementation of supply practices at Bridgend with only one component supplier brought onto the site. The original plan was to create a supplier park that would "grow" to an industrial park, creating an automotive sector in the area. However, a combination of operational, processual, and contextual factors have conspired against the plan. Research limitations/implications: The combination of a broad range of theoretical and practical elements means there are associated discussions that could be more fully explored. Condensing the interview notes has resulted in the researchers' own interpretation of events becoming a significant reality filter. Whilst single case studies raise inevitable concerns over comparability, our focus is on theoretical generalizability through richness of empirical data. Originality/value: As firms continue to use best practice as a core ingredient of strategy, researchers must respond with robust theoretical concepts explaining adoption and implementation. This paper integrates disparate perspectives across multiple levels in order to build a richer and more believable picture of a stalled initiative. Three key conclusions can be drawn: the contingent nature of "bundles of practice" implications of political ambiguity over the efficiency argument and the effect of isomorphic or bandwagon responses by firms. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) still stands today as one of the most influential governance models in the water sector. Whereas previous analyses of IWRM have focused on the effectiveness of the institutional models it embodies and on policy implementation gaps, we examine the meanings that IWRM discourses have given to water management issues and how these meanings have in turn supported certain policy choices, institutions and practices. We use discourse analysis to study IWRM discourses in Nepal, where IWRM was introduced as the guiding policy principle for water management more than a decade ago, but not yet operationalised. We argue that IWRM discourses have operated a discursive closure in policy debates, thereby limiting the range of policy and institutional choices perceived as politically possible. In particular, we found that the promotion of IWRM as an institutional holy grail has obscured critical issues of social (in) justice related to water resources development by promoting an apolitical and techno-managerial vision of water development, largely centralised and relying on expert knowledge. We defend the need to move away from institutional panaceas and towards deliberative processes that allow alternative voices, discourses and knowledge.