Skip to main content

Organizational Legitimacy: Study of Academic Publications in Scientific Journals

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Organizational Legitimacy

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop a study to observe the evolution in the generation of knowledge in the thematic on organizational legitimacy and delimit the areas of knowledge from which scientific production developed so far has been addressed. A bibliometric study of quantitative-descriptive character was carried out of the bibliographic material that addresses the study of organizational legitimacy, considering the scientific article as a unit of analysis. The database object of analysis is developed from an advanced search for terms in the international database Scopus of Elsevier Science. As a result of the search terms, 300 articles were obtained which were collected and processed using Microsoft Office Excel software. The first article was published in 1975, but it is in 2013 and 2014 when a significant growth is observed in the number of publications. The United States and the United Kingdom are identified as the two countries with more affiliations of authors, authorship, and centers, although the most productive authors belong to Spain. This research work provides information to researchers on the current state which the research is in and defines the areas of knowledge from which the study of organizational legitimacy has been approached—information that allows the academic community to assess the degree of maturity of research in this thematic area, as well as those areas of knowledge or approaches which have not been sufficiently addressed by the scientific literature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alcántara, L., Mitsuhashi, H., & Hoshino, Y. (2006). Legitimacy in international joint ventures: It is still needed. Journal of International Management, 12(4), 389–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldrich, H., & Fiol, C. (1994). Fools rush in? The institutional context of industry creation. Academy of Management Review, 19(4), 645–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso, S., Cabrerizo, F. J., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2009). H-index: A review focused on its variants, computation, and standardization for different scientific fields. Journal of Informetrics, 3, 273–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bansal, P., & Clelland, I. (2004). Talking trash: Legitimacy, impression management, and unsystematic risk in the context of the natural environment. Academy of Management Journal, 47(1), 93–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bar-Ilan, J. (2008). Informetrics at the beginning of the 21 century – a review. Journal of Informetrics, 2, 1–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barreto, I., & Baden-Fuller, C. (2006). To conform or to perform? Mimetic behaviour, legitimacy-based groups and performance consequences. Journal of Management Studies, 43(7), 1559–1581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, J. A., & Oliver, C. (1991). Institutional linkages and organizational mortality. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36(2), 187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjork, S., Offer, A., & Söderberg, G. (2014). Time series citation data: The Nobel Prize in economics. Scientometrics, 98(1), 185–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonilla, C. A., Merigó, J. M., & Torres-Abad, C. (2015). Economics in Latin America: A bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics, 105(2), 1239–1252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botetzagias, I., & Koutiva, E. (2014). Financial giving of foundations and businesses to environmental NGOs: The role of grantee’s legitimacy. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 25(2), 281–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, S. C. (1934). Sources of information on specific subjects. Engineering, 137, 85–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadus, R. N. (1987). Toward a definition of “Bibliometrics”. Scientometrics, 12, 373–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchholz, R. A., & Rosenthal, S. B. (1995). Theoretical foundations of public policy a pragmatic perspective. Business & Society, 34(3), 261–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cañedo Andalia, R., Nodarse Rodríguez, M., & Labañino Mulet, N. (2015). Similitudes y diferencias entre PubMed, Embase y Scopus. Revista Cubana de Información en Ciencias de la Salud, 26(1), 84–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B. R. (1956). Organizational adaptation and precarious values: A case study. American Sociological Review, 21(3), 327–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cruz-Suarez, A., Prado-Roman, A., & Prado-Roman, M. (2014). Cognitive legitimacy, resource access, and organizational outcomes. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 54(5), 575–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Villiers, R. (2014). Book essay on “The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership: A Critical Perspective”. Journal of Business Research, 67(12), 2512–2514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Martín, F., Blanco-González, A., & Prado Román, C. (2010). Legitimidad como factor clave del éxito organizativo. Investigaciones Europeas de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 16(3), 127–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Martín, F., Blanco-González, A., & Prado-Román, C. (2010). Medición de la legitimidad organizativa: el caso de las Sociedades de Garantía Recíproca. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 43. (junio, 115–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Martín, F., Prado-Roman, C., & Blanco-González, A. (2013). Beyond legitimacy: Legitimacy types and organizational success. Management Decision, 51(10), 1954–1969.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiMaggio, P., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Collective rationality and institutional isomorphism in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dowling, J., & Pfeffer, J. (1975). Organizational legitimacy: Social values and organizational behavior. Sociological Perspectives, 18(1), 122–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elsevier. (2008). Elsevier America Latina. Recuperado el 30 de octubre de 2016, de Productos: Scopus: http://www.americalatina.elsevier.com/corporate/es/scopus.php.

  • Elsevier. (2016). Scopus content coverage guide, 2–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, R., Suddaby, R., & Hinings, C. R. (2002). Theorizing change: The role of professional associations in the transformation of institutionalized fields. Academy of Management Journal, 45(1), 58–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannan, M. T., & Freeman, I. H. (1984). Structural inertia and organizational change. American Sociological Review, 49(2), 149–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, J. E. (2005). An index to quantify and individuals scientific research output. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, 102, 16569–16572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hornsby, J. S., Bloodgood, J. M., Hayton, J., & Kuratko, D. F. (2013). Network legitimacy diffusion: A model for corporate entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 9(3), 307–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., Yang, J. Y., & Yue, D. R. (2007). Identity, community, and audience: How wholly owned foreign subsidiaries gain legitimacy in China. Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 175–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Low, B., & Johnston, W. (2008). Securing and managing an organization’s network legitimacy: The case of Motorola China. Industrial Marketing Management, 37(7), 873–879.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martín Vega, A. (1995). Fuentes de Información General. Gijón, Spain: Trea.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maruyama, M., & Wu, L. (2015). Overcoming the liability of foreignness in international retailing: A consumer perspective. Journal of International Management, 21(3), 200–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melé, D., & Armengou, J. (2016). Moral legitimacy in controversial projects and Its relationship with social license to operate: A case study. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(4), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merigó, J. M., Mas-Tur, A., Tierno-Roig, N., & Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2015). A bibliometric overview of the Journal of Business Research between 1973 and 2014. Journal of Bussines Research, 68(12), 2645–2653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. (1956). Suggestions for a sociological approach to the theory of organizations-I. Administrative Science Quarterly, 1(1), 63–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. (1960). Structure and process in modern societies. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G. (1978). The external control of organizations: A resource dependence perspective. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruef, M., & Scott, W. (1998). A multidimensional model of organizational legitimacy: Hospital survival in changing institutional environments. Administrative Science Quarterly, 43(4), 877–904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford, M. W., & Buller, P. F. (2007). Searching for the legitimacy threshold. Journal of Management Inquiry, 16(1), 78–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salmi, O. (2008). Drivers for adopting environmental management systems in the post-Soviet mining 2008 industry. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 8(1), 51–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1995). Institutions and organizations. Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (2013). Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinak, E. (1996). Diccionario enciclopédico de bibliometría, cienciometría e informetría. Caracas, Venezuela: UNESCO CII/II.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suárez, A. C., Martín, F. D., González, A. B., & Román, C. P. (2014). Análisis de las relaciones entre la legitimidad organizativa, sus fuentes y dimensiones. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 19, 65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terreberry, S. (1968). The evolution of organizational environments. Administrative Science Quarterly, 12(4), 590–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. D. (1967). Organizations in action: Social science bases of administrative theory. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tornikoski, E. T., & Newbert, S. L. (2007). Exploring the determinants of organizational emergence: A legitimacy perspective. Journal of Business Venturing, 22(2), 311–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, T., Song, M., & Zhao, Y. L. (2014). Legitimacy and the value of early customers. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 31(5), 1057–1075.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, M., & Zeitz, G. (2002). Beyond survival: Achieving new venture growth by building legitimacy. Academy of Management Review, 27(3), 414–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, L. G. (1987). Institutional theories of organization. Annual Review of Sociology, 13, 443–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to María de la Cruz del Río-Rama .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Álvarez-García, J., Maldonado-Erazo, C.P., del Río-Rama, M.d.l.C. (2018). Organizational Legitimacy: Study of Academic Publications in Scientific Journals. In: Díez-De-Castro, E., Peris-Ortiz, M. (eds) Organizational Legitimacy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75990-6_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics