Institution and Institutionalized Action - Book Report/Review Example

al Theory, Technology and Diplomacy Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 and alized Action 3 2. Organizational Fields as Carriers of Institutional Logics of Actions 4 Coercive Isomorphism 5 Mimetic Isomorphism 6 Normative Isomorphism 6 3. Institutionalization of Modern Diplomacy 6 4. IT and its Potential Uses by the Foreign Ministries 7 5. IT and Institutional Change 9 6. IT-enabled Institutional Transformation (averment- structure and actors) 9 7. Institutional Resilience and Technology Enactment Framework 11 1. Institution and Institutionalized Action Institution and institutionalized action has been playing an important role in a society. From historical period, institutional order has been developed with the aim of building a stabilized and healthy society. There are various factors that have influencing on framing appropriate institutional order for being regularized, standardized as well as habitualized. The institutional actions gradually develop impersonal rules and stable behavioral patterns. It has been also stated that over certain period of time, the interaction between individuals’ action and behavioral pattern leads to appearance, which is popular as social institution. It has been observed that several social bodies are establishing few social standards related to the operating procedures. Accordingly, a standard set of rules and procedures are granted on the basis of which individuals in a society are able to develop a behavior in accordance with guideline. It is also observed that during the institutional process, a shared set of normative values as well as assisting activities has been developed. This process is popularly known as logic of appropriateness (March & Olsen, 1989). In order to increase or maximize self-interest, every individual not only considered all available option, but also considered the routine as well as habits for building a harmonized society. More specifically, institutions are a collection or set of interrelated rules as well as routines that defines appropriate action, which identifies the relationship between roles and situations. As per institutionalization, individuals’ action is recognized as a technique of satisfying all compulsions, which are related to a particular social role or social identity (March & Olsen, 1989). In institutional dynamics, rational as well as power are identified to be playing an important role for framing strategies as well as making decision. It is also depicted that by focusing on several points of interaction as well as stresses among societal structure along with individual structure, institutional dynamic can be explored. There are few fundamental factors that are considered by institutions such as power as well as sensible decisions of individuals that intentionally select several strategies, which are useful in providing shapes to the structure. It has been noted that to change the environmental as well as individual initiatives, structural arguments and internal dynamic within an institution can guide the procedures of changing institutional reactions. During the selection process, contextual factors of institutional environment help to determine the existing institutional factors (March & Olsen, 1989). 2. Organizational Fields as Carriers of Institutional Logics of Actions As per several researchers, institutionalization is a process, which is build up on the idea of exemplary behavior. As per the notion regarding logic of appropriateness, a particular person should act as per suitable situation. It has been stated that the establishment of organizational field should follow few particular ideology of the society. In this regard, the organizational arrangements and sanction mechanism are developed for maintaining the pattern of exemplary behavior of the society (March & Olsen, 1989). More specifically, it can be stated that the organizational field is recognized as a collection of certain behavioral aspects, which is helpful in identifying a large number of domains of institutional logics. The organizational field includes few important factors such as institutional life, resource and product, consumers, key suppliers regulatory agencies as well as other organizations, which are liable to produce similar kind of services and products. The emerging process of organizational field is recognized as structuration that includes the patterns of social activities as well as relation from side to side of time and across space. Apart from this, structuration is having four important elements, which are provided hereunder (March & Olsen, 1989). Increasing interaction among organization within the field Increasing in flow of information within the organizational field Emergence of clearly defined pattern of domination and coalition building The participant organizations are required to have mutual awareness regarding their involvement in the shared enterprise (March & Olsen, 1989). Apart from this, isomorphic institutional change is a term, which is recognized as an isomorphism. This process indicates towards the similarity of procedures of one organization with another organization. This process is also known as imitation of development under similar constraints. More specifically, Isomorphism is of two types, one is competitive and the other is institutional. The institutional isomorphic change is having three different kinds of mechanisms. These mechanisms include Coercive Isomorphism, Mimetic and Normative Process. These mechanisms are discussed hereunder (March & Olsen, 1989). Coercive Isomorphism Coercive Isomorphism is identified as stem of informal and formal pressures that have been extracted from other organizations, over which an organization is highly dependent on meeting the cultural expectation of a society. As per the Isomorphic changes, a dominant power positions provide opportunities to exert coercive pressures over less powerful actors (March & Olsen, 1989). Mimetic Isomorphism It has been observed that several actors are opting for the isomorphic change in the absence of coercive pressures. In this regard, the actors are initiating to reduce uncertainty in their own action. In order to reduce the uncertainty in their own situation, actor frequently imitates the mimic situation by establishing the practice of organizational structure. This practice is often referred as mimetic isomorphism. More specifically, it can be stated that uncertainty encourages imitation. In this regard, the organizational model can be diffused through employee migration or by consulting firm (March & Olsen, 1989). Normative Isomorphism Isomorphism is also being a result of professional standard governing over an organizational field. This behavior easily determines the practice and behavior within the field. It can be stated in this regard that normative isomorphism is a pressure that has been brought through professions. The legitimization is inbuilt in the licensing of educational achievements (March & Olsen, 1989). 3. Institutionalization of Modern Diplomacy Institutionalization of modern diplomacy is recognized as one of the most important factors for the development of a new process. In order to make institutionalization as a modern diplomacy both modern diplomacy and territorial notion are needed to be collaboratively developed as a mutually constitutive set of process. This process can interstate both the carrier and products equally. A large number of researchers have defined modern diplomacy in different manners. It has been stated that diplomacy is recognized to be a combination of both a function and a determinant of international order (March & Olsen, 1989). The organizational field of diplomacy has been structured by increasing interaction among a large number of foreign ministries of those respective European countries. As per several researchers, diplomacy refers as an institution, which contains a collection rules as well as routines. These routines are helpful in defining appropriate actions of the state of international environment. There are three ways of maintaining core organizing principle of diplomacy such as hierarchy, secrecy as well as one way public communication process of diplomacy. This process carries the attributes of modern diplomacy as an institution following the norms, structures as well as routines of an organization (March & Olsen, 1989). 4. IT and its Potential Uses by the Foreign Ministries Technological development is recognized as one of the most innovative and potential developments in the context of a modern society. It has been observed that with the advent of technology, revolutionary impact has been seen over large number of social factors. The invention of computer is recognized as one of the most important and useful inventions of technology. After the innovation of computer, it becomes more common devices for every people and is used in day-to-day activities. The major use of technology has been used by the foreign ministry. It has been observed that the foreign ministry has made an example of potential use of technology. As per the foreign ministry, technology has been used in various ways (March & Olsen, 1989). It is observed that the foreign ministry has used common desktop environment in an innovative manner. During the establishment of regular desktop environment, the foreign ministry has used the computer in an advanced manner. Foreign ministry has developed an advanced computer system with a common suite of software as well as an identical configuration of that particular software. This kind of software has been installed in every machine of foreign ministry department. Besides, the foreign ministry has used the technology in an efficient manner for maintaining internal as well as external global network (March & Olsen, 1989). Through the effective networking system, foreign minister has set a secure communication process on a worldwide basis. For instance, phone, fax, email and online video sharing are recognized as one of the most innovative as well as useful technological inventions in the modern society. The implementation of advanced technology by the foreign ministry enabled better communication process among a large number of significant elements such as headquarters as well as embassies. Apart from this, the technology also enabled better communication between a large numbers of embassies within same region (March & Olsen, 1989). A foreign ministry has very strong database segments. To maintain those databases, foreign ministry has established few strategies such as retrieval of important data. Besides, establishment of corporate memory as well as quick referencing of the previous work over a particular selected topic is recognized as one of the most important strategies. Through the implementation of technology, foreign ministry has been able to make towards development affairs by building global international resource data bases. Through the technological innovation, foreign ministry participates in Geographical Information System (GIS) (March & Olsen, 1989). Technological invention enables a large number of facilities to host web through internet browsing. In this regard, the foreign ministry has enabled the web pages for embassies. Additionally, foreign ministry has enabled information services for all the citizens living at home as well as aboard. Online public diplomacy is recognized as one of the innovative strategies that facilitated towards providing electronic information as well as links for the commercial users. Through these facilities, the users can enable to do worldwide information searches. Apart from this, the invention has been effective in record keeping and assists in managing insensitive messages to be handled in an automatic manner (March & Olsen, 1989). In order to maintain the business process, technological help is used for preparing electronic pay roll, electronic bill paying system as well as travel voucher and many more. In order to develop effective communication system, internet chat room is recognized as one most useful technology. Internet chat room is recommended as a strategy of reducing time consuming process of communication. Technological innovation brings several improvements in the planning process as well as plays an important role as a crisis management (March & Olsen, 1989). 5. IT and Institutional Change From the past few decades, technological innovation is recognized as one of the most significant changes for future development of a society. As per the several researches, technological contribution is recommended as significant factor for the development of organizations. It has been stated that IT is not regarded as a transformative force, which only coevolves the social context. Additionally, it has been stated that IT as well as social settings are constructed on the basis of mutual considerations (March & Olsen, 1989). 6. IT-enabled Institutional Transformation (averment- structure and actors) It has been observed that implementation of technology has led to a radical evolution in a large number of government insertions. IT may leads to essential institutional transformation of governmental institution. For instance, it is identified that an established institutional has been replaced by an order of higher authority. This situation is recommended as a process that has similarities with the change of an institution. There are three levels of institution influencing the mechanisms that have been related to IT driving of radical changes. The most important three levels of institutions are environment, structures as well as actors. Environment is recognized to be a significant factor for the development of the social institutional transformation. It is regarded as standardize responses as well as routines that ensures continuous stabilities of the organization on the basis of incessant changing environment. It has been stated that the institutional changes are rapid and radical in nature, as there are few technological changes witnessed in the recent decades (March & Olsen, 1989). Apart from this, the second level of the organizational changes is recognized as structure, which is mainly recognized as structural guide. This structure provides the guidance to the individuals who are belonging from an organization in terms of their actions. This process is useful in reducing the complexities of the individuals’ action. Apart from this, structural guidance also provides indication of appropriate and suitable actions to the individuals as per the respective situations. On the basis of appropriate action, IT is implemented in institutional settings, which may leads to ambiguity as per the appropriate action. The important role of it is to facility the opportunities to enabled actions that has been challenging towards establishing the way of doing a large number of action, which is recognized as institutional collision. This situation may leads to other level of competition where a large number of logic in relation to appropriateness may be evoked and the actor is forced to select among a large number of competing institutional set of criteria guiding action 9 March & Olsen, 1989). It has been observed that IT is having huge potentials in the society. Its potential has been identified during the period of inspiring government for launching extensive reform initiatives on a worldwide basis. It has been stated that these approaches are entirely dependent upon the idea, which indicates towards the concept of change management. It helps every individual as well as organization to follow the IT supported standards and norms. In relation to this particular situation, Business Process Reengineering (BPR) plays the principle role. Therefore, it is observed that the prime intention of implementing the essential rethinking and radical redesign in business process for achieving the dramatic improvements is critical contemporary measures of performance (March & Olsen, 1989). 7. Institutional Resilience and Technology Enactment Framework Both the internal as well as external tools of IT have been playing an important role for the development of an organization. In the technological enhancement framework, the use of IT tools is needed to be made in an appropriate manner. More elaborately, it can be stated that during the usage of IT tools by the members of an organization, it will be included in the internal environment of an organization for better analysis of market scenario. These IT tools are needed to be installed on the basis of rules, routines, organizational cultures as well as norms of organization. This context will influence the usage of technology as well as purpose of the technology. In this context, institutional as well as organizational arrangements act as a go-between about the meanings, that has been associated with the technological objectives to be accomplished. Apart from this, institutional and organizational management intervene the importance of using objective technologies or IT tools by every member of an organization (March & Olsen, 1989). Initially the organizational members are needed to understand the implication and the application of technology to apply the technology within an organization. These processes are recognized as technological enactment. This process can also be applied by an organizational member. It is also observed that the process of installing technology is regarded as the propensity of a number of organizational members or actors for implementing new technological aspects in the IT way. This will reproduces, strengthen as well as institutionalized socio cultural mechanism during crucial situations when the technological performance does not use technology optimally as well as rationally. It also describes that organizational actors are treating technology as a basis of enactment of the national changes as per IT. Organizational actors are trends to perform with technological tools for preserving continuing as well as networking relationship. In addition, technological tools aids in maintaining the performance of programmers. These organizational programmers include routines, scripts, frames as well as patterns, which constitutes the typical organized collections of a large numbers of responses within organizations (March & Olsen, 1989). There are three major notions of IT enabled institutional change dynamic. These notions include social embeddedness of IT, change dynamics as well as types of change. Under social embeddedness, there are three significant factors such as IT- developers, IT- salesmen, and IT- consultants. The aforementioned concepts are followed by the three attributes such as institutional norms, institutional rules as well as institutional routines. These processes are followed by different elements of change in dynamics, which includes institutional transformation and institutional resilience. The process of institutional transformation has been passed through three different phases such as performance crisis, institutional collation as well as change management. These factors are important for ascertaining that institutional transformation has been accomplished effectively for better dynamic performance of an organization (March & Olsen, 1989). Performance crisis includes the environmental factors for the development of institutional transformation. In this context, institutional collation includes social structures as well as change management, which are depended on the actors for the development of institutional transformation. Institutional resilience is having three different phases that have an impact over the development of organizational modern diplomacy. Matching processes as well as selectiveness are the initial two steps recognized as one of the key significance of the development of institutional resilience. The final process is path dependence that has been also a significant part of institutional resilience. However, these processes are identified to be segregated on two types of changes. These changes are recognized as changes of an institution as well as changes in an institution (March & Olsen, 1989). There are four types of technological enactment, which influences institutional growth. The influencers of the technological enactment are popular as cognitive, cultural, structural as well as political embeddedness. However, it is found that the definition of enactment is more similar as the definition of situation. The term enactment is one of the most important parts of the organizational theories. The term enactment refers to the selective concentration that has been based on environmental stimuli, which enables propensity to represents, act out and enact institutionalization (March & Olsen, 1989). Reference March, J. G. & Olsen, J. P., 1989. Rediscovering Institutions: The Organizational Basis of Politics. The Free Press. Read More