Institutional theory has become one of the dominant organizational approaches in recent decades. Its roots can be traced to Europe and an important intellectual objective of this book is to examine North American theory strands and to reconnect them with European research traditions in order to explore new perspectives. For that purpose, this book focuses on how organizations and individuals handle heterogeneous and challenging social conditions which are subsequently reflected in various forms of change. In particular, the book: sheds light on neo-institutionalism from a European perspective examines neo-institutionalism in North American sociological and organizational theories and (re-)connects them with European research traditions explores novel and innovative methodologies to analyse institutions analyzes institutional and organizational change links micro- and macro-approaches to institutions reconnects organizational institutionalism with sociological theories. Finally, the book includes an afterword by John Meyer which is intended to stimulate further discussion. New Themes in Institutional Analysis will appeal to students and academics in organization, management and institutionalism. Contributors include: J.L. Alvarez, N. Arnold, C. Berg Johansen, S. Boch Waldorff, S. Bohn, M. Bottura, R. Corrado, G. Delmestri, G.S. Drori, B. Forgues, R.O. Friedland, M.A. Hoellerer, T. Klatetzki, K. Kloos, V.P. Korff, G. Krucken, M. Lounsbury, C. Mazza, J.W. Meyer, R.E. Meyer, A. Mica, A. Oberg, V. Odorici, C.R. Oelberger, M. Pawlak, W.W. Powell, B. Soppe, J. Strandgaard Pedersen, S. Svejenova, P. Walgenbach, E. Weik, A. Westenholz

This book discusses the main structures of the German higher education system both conceptually and with a particular emphasis on recent developments like, e.g., the growth and differentiation of the system, governance reforms, and the Excellence Initiative. Recent developments are analysed from an international perspective, as national higher education systems are embedded in broader, transnational trends. As a result, this book does not only provide an academically sound and theoretically inspired account of recent developments of the German higher education system, but with its systematic and comprehensive focus it may serve as a blueprint for the analysis of other national systems as well.

Forschungsorganisationen stehen fortwahrend vor zwei Herausforderungen. Erstens wird von ihnen erwartet, in Reaktion auf intellektuellen Wandel neue Forschungsgebiete zugig aufzugreifen und zu unterstutzen. Zweitens sollen sie im Zuge gesellschaftlicher Veranderungen zu Tragern des institutionellen Wandels der Forschung werden. Die Beitrage dieses Bandes diskutieren, inwiefern Forschungsorganisationen diese beiden Herausforderungen bewaltigen konnen. Unter dem Stichwort der institutionellen Erneuerungsfahigkeit" werden konzeptuelle Antworten und empirische Befunde der organisationssoziologisch und neo-institutionalistisch orientierten Wissenschaftsforschung erortert. Prozesse der institutionellen Erneuerung werden am Beispiel aktueller und relevanter Themen mit besonderem Bezug auf den deutschsprachigen Raum untersucht."

Die Arbeit unternimmt den Versuch, theoretische Einsichten der Risikosoziologie fur den Bereich der Politik fruchtbar zu machen. An Luhmanns Unterscheidung von externen Gefahren und im Entscheidungssystem anfallenden Risiken schliesst die forschungsleitende These an, dass technische und okologische Gefahren in politische Risiken transformiert werden. Diese These wird anhand von zwei empirischen Bereichen der politischen Gefahrenregulierung uberpruft. Mit der politischen Regulierung von Arzneimittelgefahren und der seit den achtziger Jahren einsetzenden Klimapolitik werden Fallbereiche untersucht, die gesellschaftlich ebenso wichtig wie soziologisch noch weitgehend unerforscht sind. Beide Studien belegen die besondere Bedeutung von politischer Risikoaversion, die jedoch zu vollig unterschiedlichen Regulierungsformen fuhrt. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse sind nicht nur fur theoretische Diskussionen zur "Politik in der Risikogesellschaft" relevant, sondern auch fur die regulative Praxis."

Science and politics all over the world are generating new ideas and models for the functions and structures of the higher education sector and its institutions. These are increasingly exposed to pressures of change. The contributions compiled in this volume identify the most influential models and investigate the context of their origin, their dissemination mechanisms and chances to establish themselves, as well as the resulting consequences for the universities.

Georg Krcken, Ph.D., Department of Sociology and Institute for Science Research (Institut fr Wissenschaftsforschung, IWT), Bielefeld University, has a research focus on the higher education sector, science research, and the sociology of organizations. Christian Castor is the former coordinator of the graduate college "Wissensgesellschaft," IWT, Bielefeld University. Anna Kosmtzky and Marc Torka are both affiliated with the graduate college "Wissensgesellschaft," IWT, Bielefeld University.

John W. Meyer's work broke new grounds in institutional thought in sociology and made him a central thinker for the emerging interdisciplinary field of neo-institutionalism, while at the same time establishing institutional thought's comparative variant, world society theory. His scholarship plays a prominent role in contemporary social theory, and has shaped research areas such as international relations and globalization, organization theory, and management studies.
One of the results of Meyer's wide-ranging and interdisciplinary influence is that his work has appeared in a diverse range of outlets. This book brings together some of John W. Meyer's widely-scattered work, reviewing four decades of scholarship, and adding several original pieces from Meyer's current work. It gathers substantive commentary on social processes, from stratification to globalization to socialization, as well as on key social institutions, from science to religion to law to education. In its expansive review, this book is both about neo-institutional thought in general and world society theory in particular.
This book is both by John W. Meyer and about John W. Meyer: to the compilation of Meyer's canonized and current work, Georg Krucken and Gili S. Drori add an essay on the theoretical and empirical contribution of Meyer's institutional theory, placing it within the broader context of contemporary social theory, globalization research, and organizational studies in both in the United States and Europe."

John W. Meyer's work broke new grounds in institutional thought in sociology and made him a central thinker for the emerging interdisciplinary field of neoinstitutionalism, while at the same time establishing institutional thought's comparative variant, world society theory. His scholarship plays a prominent role in contemporary social theory, and has shaped research areas such as international relations and globalization, organization theory, and management studies.
One of the results of Meyer's wide-ranging and interdisciplinary influence is that his work has appeared in a diverse range of outlets. This book brings together some of John W. Meyer's widely-scattered work, reviewing four decades of scholarship, and adding several original pieces from Meyer's current work. It gathers substantive commentary on social processes, from stratification to globalization to socialization, as well as on key social institutions, from science to religion to law to education. In its expansive review, this book is both about neoinstitutional thought in general and world society theory in particular.
This book is both by John W. Meyer and about John W. Meyer: to the compilation of Meyer's canonized and current work, Georg Krucken and Gili S. Drori add an essay on the theoretical and empirical contribution of Meyer's institutional theory, placing it within the broader context of contemporary social theory, globalization research, and organizational studies in both in the United States and Europe.