Coercive isomorphism

Coercive isomorphic change involves pressures from other organizations in which they are dependent upon and by cultural expectations from society. Some are governmental mandates, some are derived from contract law, financial reporting requirements. "Organizations are increasingly homogeneous within given domains and increasingly organized around rituals of conformity to wider institutions".^[1]

Coercive isomorphism is in contrast to mimetic isomorphism, where uncertainty encourages imitation, and similar to normative isomorphism, where professional standards or networks influence change.

Large corporations can have similar impact on their subsidiaries.

References

1. Dimaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.