2. Organization as Theater
Dramaturgical and Institutional Theory
DiMaggio and Powell, “The Iron Cage
Revisited…”
Organizational Structure as Theater
Organizational Process as Theater
3. Organizational Theater
Theater plays to both internal and external
audiences
A convincing dramaturgical performance
reassures external constituents, builds
confidence, keeps critics at bay
Drama may have happy endings (like Polaris
case) or tragedy (like Hurricane Katrina)
4. Dramaturgical and Institutional
Theory
Dramaturgical theory: internal focus (organizational
participants as players in a drama)
Institutional theory: external focus on how
organizations project images to external audiences
“Institutionalized organizations” focus more on
appearance than performance
When goals are ambiguous and performance hard to
measure (as in universities and many government
agencies), organizations maintain stakeholder support
by staging the right play, conforming to audience
expectations of how the organization should operate
5. DiMaggio and Powell, “The Iron Cage
Revisited…”
“Isomorphism” – process of becoming similar to other
organizations in the same “organizational field”
Coercive isomorphism – organizations become alike
because law, regulation or stakeholders pressure
them to do so
Mimetic isomorphism – organizations become more
alike by copying one another
Normative isomorphism – organizations employing
the same professionals become similar because the
professionals have similar values and ideas
6. Organizational Structure as
Theater
Structure as Stage design: an arrangement of lights,
props and costumes
Makes drama vivid and credible
Reflects and expresses current values and myths
Public schools reassure stakeholders if…
The building and grounds look like a school
Teachers are certified
Curriculum mirrors society’s expectations
Colleges judged by:
Age, endowment, beauty of campus
Faculty student ratio
Faculty with degrees from elite institutions
7. Organizational Process as Theater
Activities (meetings, planning, performance
appraisal, etc.) often fail to produce intended
outcomes, yet persist because they help
sustain organizational drama
Scripts and stage markings: cue actors what
to do and how to behave
Opportunities for self-expression and forums
for airing grievances
Reassure audiences that organization is well-
managed and important problems are being
addressed
8. Organizational Process as Theater (II)
Meetings as “Garbage cans”
Attract an unpredictable mix of problems
looking for solutions, solutions looking for
problems, and participants seeking
opportunities for self-expression
Planning as ceremony to maintain legitimacy
and reinforce participants’ bonds
Plans are symbols
Plans become games
Plans become excuses for interaction
Plans become advertisements
9. Organizational Process as Theater (III)
Evaluations
Often fail in intended goals of improving performance
and identifying strengths and weaknesses
Ceremony signals the organization is well-managed
and cares about performance improvement
Collective Bargaining
Public face: intense, dramatic contest
Private face: back-stage negotiation, collusion
Power
Exists in eye of beholder – you are powerful if others
think you are
May be attributed based on outcomes
10. Conclusion
Organizations judged by appearance
The right drama:
Provides a ceremonial stage
Reassures stakeholders
Maintains confidence and faith
Drama serves powerful symbolic functions
Engages actors in their performances
Builds excitement, hope, sense of momentum