Organizational Hybridity

This book contains Open Access chapters This volume integrates and redirects research on organizational hybridity, the mixing of logics, forms, and identities that do not conventionally go together. It sets a foundation for continued analytical rigor and real-world relevance.

Times of extensive institutional pressure challenge the existence of commercial organizations as entities that reproduce a single coherent market-orientated institutional template to achieve effectiveness. In tune with pressure from changing markets, contemporary commercial organizations adopt various combinations of skills, templates, and processes for new sources of competitive advantage. At a conceptual level, hybridity embraces the notion that organizations may embody multiple templates, logics or values to achieve effective organizational performance. However, at a practical level, hybridity presents tensions, inconsistencies and contradictions for these organizations; a state of affairs that could have adverse negative consequences for employees’ behaviour and trust in the organization. This book offers an exploration of individual-level responses to logics multiplicity for all those interested in the future of commercial organizations.

A much-needed addition to literature, this timely edited collection aims to provide clarity and understanding on how modern organizations work. The authors explore the characteristics of hybrid organizations in contemporary society, taking into account the complex societal challenges that face businesses today. Arguing that hybrid organizations are in fact not a new phenomenon, this thought-provoking collection goes beyond existing research and re-evaluates our traditional understanding of this concept. Scholars of organization, management and innovation will find this book an insightful read, as it sheds light on the fundamental aspects that shape today’s hybrid organizations.

Hybrid organizations combine elements of well-established, institutionalized structures and thereby move away from conventional organizational practices. The present research reveals that when hybrid organizations develop their operations, they are faced with challenges that are unique and unexplored and which are often grounded in their hybrid structure. Social business hybrids were chosen as an ideal setting for the study of organizational hybridity based on their unique organizational structure, which is characterized by a mix of commercial for-profit and charity logic.

This volume explores an expansive array of organizational imaginaries, or conceptions of organizational possibilities, with a focus on collectivist-democratic organizations, to showcase how organizations can ultimately support and serve broader communities.

This volume carries out an evaluation of the digital transformation process for organizations, which has accelerated further with the influence of COVID-19. It provides an up-to-date perspective by addressing organizational aspects and activities of different fields in the social sciences. The contributions gathered here discuss the digital transformation of social and organizational studies related to disciplines such as public practices, human resource management, finance, education, occupational health and safety, organizational behavior, health management, management strategies, entrepreneurship, and marketing. In this way, it will be possible to see and evaluate digitalization in various aspects of organizations.

Times of extensive institutional pressure challenge the existence of commercial organizations as entities that reproduce a single coherent market-orientated institutional template to achieve effectiveness. In tune with pressure from changing markets, contemporary commercial organizations adopt various combinations of skills, templates, and processes for new sources of competitive advantage. At a conceptual level, hybridity embraces the notion that organizations may embody multiple templates, logics or values to achieve effective organizational performance. However, at a practical level, hybridity presents tensions, inconsistencies and contradictions for these organizations; a state of affairs that could have adverse negative consequences for employees' behaviour and trust in the organization. This book offers an exploration of individual-level responses to logics multiplicity for all those interested in the future of commercial organizations.

Intuitively, organisations can easily be categorised as ‘public’ or ‘private’. However, this book questions such a black and white dichotomy between public and private, and seeks a deeper understanding of hybrid organisations. These organisations can be found at micro, meso and macro levels of societal activity, consisting of networks between companies, public agencies and other entities. The line between these two realms is increasingly blurred — giving rise to hybrid organisations. Governing Hybrid Organisations presents an engaging discussion around hybrid organisations, highlighting them as important and fascinating examples of modern institutional diversity. Chapters examine the changing landscape of service delivery and the nature and governance of hybrid organisations, using international examples and cases from different service contexts. The authors put forward a clear analytical framework for understanding hybrid governance, looking at strategy and performance management. This text will be valuable for students of public management, public administration, business management and organisational studies, and will also be illuminating for practising managers.