The Formation and Impact of Isomorphic Pressures: Extravagant Position‐Related Consumption in China
基于对中国地方政府官员的65次深度访谈及政府文件、媒体报道，研究了同构压力如何导致组织间形成一致的奢侈消费行为，并揭示其与正式法律规范的矛盾及背后的官僚关系动态。
In this article, we examine the impact of isomorphic pressures on institutional practices, a field that has not been adequately explored and explained. A critical issue, on which this article focuses, is the process by which isomorphic pressures translate into homogenous institutional practices across organizations. Drawing on the case of extravagant position‐related consumption in local governments in China, we identify the sources of isomorphic pressures, how they come to have an impact, in what ways they are manifested and how they are sustained. We find that institutionalized isomorphic pressures may create informal institutional practices in contradiction to formal legal norms. We further analyze the endogenous dynamics behind the formation of isomorphic pressures, which are deeply embedded in the complex web of Chinese bureaucratic relationships. This article is based on 65 in‐depth interviews with government officials as well as relevant government documents and media accounts.