Institutional arbitrage: how actors exploit institutional difference
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Author(s)
Perkmann, Markus
Phillips, Nelson
Greenwood, Royston
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In this paper, we explore how actors benefit from bringing together incompatible institutional logics-an activity we call institutional arbitrage-and discuss why they do so despite the challenges it creates. We develop a taxonomy of four basic tactics of institutional arbitrage that are rooted in differences between logics in terms of resource valuation, purpose, practices, and legitimacy. These tactics enable actors to create benefits by engaging with actors from fields adhering to different logics or integrating practices from other fields. We also discuss some of the factors that enable actors to deploy these tactics in particular institutional settings. We conclude with a discussion of some of the potential consequences of institutional arbitrage for actors, organizations, and the broader organizational field within which arbitrage occurs.
Date Issued
2022-04-12
Date Acceptance
2022-01-06
Citation
Organization Theory, 2022, 3, pp.1-20
ISSN
2631-7877
Publisher
Sage
Start Page
1
End Page
20
Journal / Book Title
Organization Theory
Volume
3
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which
permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work
is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which
permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work
is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
License URL
Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1177/26317877221090313
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-04-12