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Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance pp 1–4Cite as

Institutionalization and Its Many Facets

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Synonyms

Diffusion; Process of stability; Reproductive process

Definition

Institutionalization is a process. It involves the sequential steps required for a model to achieve an institutional status. Institutions simultaneously prescribe ways of acting and exist as a solution to collective problems.

Introduction

The process of institutionalization has been documented in a variety of disciplines, namely, in political science, economics, and sociology. Although the focus of attention on the institution is not the same, these three disciplines recognize that institution plays a role in collective action and in response to basic needs. Also, institutions serve to regulate behavior, to guide them. It is a source of stability. That being said, institutions change regularly. Therefore, for new institutions to gain legitimacy, the process of institutionalization must be perpetually repeated.

In public administration, numerous models have been considered as institutions in the last 40 years,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. École nationale d’administration publique, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Stéphanie Gagnon

Authors
  1. Stéphanie Gagnon
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Correspondence to Stéphanie Gagnon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Ali Farazmand

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Gagnon, S. (2018). Institutionalization and Its Many Facets. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3465-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3465-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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