Research on the Explanatory Adaptation Mechanism of Organizations in Response to Multiple Institutional Logic

Abstract

Modern organizations generally exist in complex fields composed of multiple institutional logics. These logics come from different institutional sources (such as national regulations, market efficiency, professional norms, community beliefs, etc.), coexist, interweave, and even compete with each other, constantly posing strategic, structural, and operational challenges to organizations. This article attempts to explore how organizations adopt an interpretive adaptation strategy to understand, respond to, and control these diverse and even conflicting demands in the face of these challenges. This article argues that organizations are not passive recipients under institutional pressure, but rather active actors in interpreting, selecting, and synthesizing meanings from various logics. The article first reviews the concept of multiple institutional logics and the tense relationships they contain. Secondly, explanatory adaptation strategies for facing the above challenges were introduced, mainly including key steps such as logical identification and construction of meaning, logical screening and selective coupling, dynamic balance and integration of authority, and shaping internal and external legitimacy narratives. The ways in which the above process can be put into practice were also discussed, such as managing the meaning system within the organization, carrying out cross level institutional work, flexibly allocating resources and capabilities, and using identity and relationship strategies. This study deepens the understanding of organizational system adaptability and provides a theoretical perspective that emphasizes active interpretation and strategic adaptation for organizations operating in a diverse institutional environment.