A time to imitate, a time to explore
Subtitle: roles of performance relative to aspirations and interorganizational learning processes in diversity of Ontario hospitals, 1971--1992.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 211
Description: Although research on organizational diversity has made significant progress in the past two decades, most studies have drawn predominantly on environmental perspectives. The role of organizational adaptive capacity in organizational diversity has been largely ignored. In my dissertation, I link the behavioral theory of the firm with interorganizational learning theories to examine whether performance relative to aspirations and interorganizational learning processes affect organizational diversity. My theoretical accounts and empirical findings reveal that the multifaceted learning processes of organizations shape the heterogeneity of organizations in a population. Specifically, two fundamental themes emerge from the empirical analysis of Ontario hospitals, 1971--1992. First, organizations, like the hospitals examined here, respond to increases in the discrepancy between their performance and aspirations by not imitating comparable, large, and successful organizations. As a result, performance relative to aspirations gives rise to interorganizational heterogeneity. Second, not until that performance feedback triggers decision makers to explore new routines can organizations rely upon the experience of other organizations to cope with environmental uncertainty and reduce exploration costs. Consequently, interorganizational learning processes increase the homogeneity of organizations. Overall, my theoretical development illustrates that performance feedback and interorganizational learning processes are important factors contributing to organizational diversity. My empirical findings highlight that interorganizational learning processes do not necessarily lead to the homogeneity of organizations, conditional upon performance feedback and the histories and experiences of other organizations.
Notes: Adviser:  Joel A. C. Baum.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-05, Section: A, page: 1856.