1.13. Institutional theories

Institutional theory observes that organizations are stable entities, hard to change, and thus IS development will happen much as restricted by the rules and culture of the organization in which the systems are implemented. As most eGov systems are developed within the administration sphere, institutional theory would suggest culture clashes for systems developed to be used across two or more spheres, as social, political and professional institutions act to consensually structure social relations (see March et al., 1989; Powell et al., 1991).

According to institutional theories, the values, rules, or the patterns of interactions of individuals within institutions explain the decisions governments make. Individuals remain important actors in these theories, but there is greater leverage to be gained through understanding the institutional frameworks within which they operate. A central idea in all accounts of institutions is that they are enduring entities: they cannot be changed at once at the will of the agents. Institutional theories thus provide accounts on the constraints that institutions impose on action but, as has been pointed out by Jane Fountain, these theories also leave unanswered questions in relation to new technologies. According to her, it is important to expand or extend institutional theory so that it takes into account the new technology – how institutional conditions influence the development, use and effects of the Internet, as well as how the Internet influences the context in which norms and rules influence perception and action.





References:

March, J.G. & Olsen J.P. (1989). Rediscovering Institutions. The Organizational Basis for Politics. New York: The Free Press.

Powell, W., & DiMaggio?, P. (1991). The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. University of Chicago Press.

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