Stéphane Guérard

Turning Point Mechanisms in a Dualistic Process Model of Institutional Emergence: The Case of the Diesel Particulate Filter in Germany

Based on an in-depth case study investigating the emergence of a normative institution, namely the diesel particulate filter (DPF) as a de facto standard for diesel cars in Germany, this paper develops a dualistic process model of institutional emergence which reflects the fundamental oppositional character of institutional actors involved in a series of framing contests. The proposed model features distinct phases punctuated by turning point mechanisms that shape the process leading to institutional emergence. Three specific turning point mechanisms were identified: local objectification, movement legitimacy and critical actors taking action. This model provides a novel perspective on institutional emergence in that it explains shifts in contestation and the emergence of an institution as a temporal resolution reached through coercion rather than out of a consensus as several institutionalization models assume. The results also suggest that the industry under attack from a social movement tends to deploy buffering strategies in an attempt to protect itself. Finally, we outline future directions for studying processes around contested fields and turning point mechanisms.

Talking About Routines: The Role of Reflective Talk in Routine Change

In this paper, we examine the role of reflective talk in how routines change. We argue that talk enables routine participants to collectively reflect on the routine and work out new ways of enacting it. Drawing on a year-long ethnographic study of a start-up company in the pharmaceutical industry, we show that talk supports the enactment of collective reflection by enabling the participants to (1) name and situate the issue to be discussed with regard to the performative and ostensive aspects of the routine, (2) jointly envisage and explore alternative ways of enacting the routine, and (3) evaluate and question these suggestions from different angles. We examine how these aspects of reflective talk play out in different types of routine change and how the progressive unfolding of the talk reveals distinct opportunities for routine change. With our findings, we shed light on the role of collective reflection in routine change, on variation and selective retention in routine change, and on how organizational members balance the need for consistency and change in the enactment of routines.

The New CEO and the Post‐Succession Process: An Integration of Past Research and Future Directions

The early tenure of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), also referred to as ‘the CEO post-succession process’, is a critical phase in the history of an organization, because it is associated with a high rate of organizational failure and CEO dismissal. Research on this important process has grown rapidly over the last decade, focusing particularly on the question of how the match between the CEO, the organization and the environment is created in the post-succession process. Yet, the respective literature is highly fragmented, which suggests that there is a need for a systematic review and evaluation of existing works. Adopting the conceptual vocabulary of the practice perspective, the authors review this literature in terms of what it reveals about (1) the practices adopted by new CEOs and other actors involved in the post-succession process, (2) the properties of the key practitioners involved, and (3) the practical context of the post-succession process. This review suggests that new CEOs are primarily involved in practices aimed at integrating the new CEO into the organization, and practices aimed at realigning the organization with its environment. The important insights that the existing literature affords are identified, and the gaps in this body of research are highlighted. On this basis, a concrete research agenda is developed in terms of topics, methodologies and theories.

Testing, Contesting and Legitimizing Technology Diffusion in Regulated Environments

Based on a longitudinal case study approach, this paper shows that the legitimation processes of technology diffusion in regulated environments is subjected to distinct power struggles manifested in different framing contests when several competing technological frames are crafted, are contradictory and attempt at capturing the same resources. We show that technology framing contests increase ambiguity which may in turn spark the need to rely on technology testing in order to bring a resolution of the debate, to lower ambiguity and to provide legitimacy to the purpose and benefits of a technology. Furthermore, we show that when framing contests over diffusion cannot be resolved through legitimated means, institution testing may come into play. This is likely to occur when the cultural-cognitive legitimacy of a technology has acquired sufficient force to trump regulatory legitimacy.

The Practices and Processes of New CEOs Managing the Post-succession Period

Taking charge is a major challenge that newly appointed chief executive officers (CEOs) has to face. In this paper, we focus on how new CEOs manage this challenge and establish influence in their organizations. Drawing on a longitudinal qualitative study of eight new CEOs, we identify important processes and practices of managing the post-succession period. Our findings show that in order to navigate through the dynamic post-succession period, CEOs use various practices in gaining initial acceptance, establishing an inner circle, managing board-relation, adjusting top management team and initiating strategic changes. We also found that the CEO’s low accountability for performance and the high expectation of strategic change in the first year create a space for new CEOs’ agency. Our findings suggest that the post- succession period can be better understood as two processes of leader integration and strategic change, which interact and co- evolve over time. Theoretical and practical implications of our find...