Ending the Family Quarrel

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades, research in organizational sociology has shifted away from the contextual richness of action perspectives toward more structuralist paradigms. DiMaggio and Powell's distinction between what they label the “old” and “new” institutionalisms highlights this general trend. The present authors offer a critical review of this generational paradigm debate among institutional theorists and challenge DiMaggio and Powell's assertion that the new should replace the old. The present authors advocate a reconciliation between these theoretical currents that would provide a more balanced approach to the action-structure duality.