Coupling, not decoupling, should be institutional theory's mantra: A rejoinder to Haack and Schoeneborn

Abstract

Ambiguity and uncertainty inhere in theorizing around the knowledge frontier. Debating the robustness of novel ideas can, therefore, be instrumental in bolstering theory development. As such, I welcome that Haack and Schoeneborn (forthcoming) challenge certain aspects of my recent AMR article (Wijen, 2014). Their critique is two-pronged. First, they argue that my ideas are functionalist and thus incompatible with the social constructionist nature of institutional theory. Second, they contend that I interpret decoupling in a static way, thereby ignoring important dynamics. My response follows the order of these issues.