ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that the economic crisis be interpreted as a factor that triggers a process of re-institutionalization and renewal of practices. The sociological branch of neo-institutional theory rests on a unifying principle: the behaviour of organizations and individuals are influenced and constrained socially. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, neo-institutionalism distinguished itself from old institutionalism by focusing on the repetitive nature of action in organizations. Isomorphism therefore constitutes its principal subject of study and has interested numerous scholars working in this stream of theory. Heteromorphism can characterize organizations that belong to different environments but which are subject to similar institutional pressures, regardless of their industry or nationality, and which react differently in their behaviour and management practices. De-institutionalization has become a central question in the neo-institutionalist research agenda. The material and relational characteristics of organizations are constituted, reinforced and constrained by the virtual elements, which in turn are affected by actors’ behaviour.
