Inhabited Actors: Internalizing Institutions through Communication and Actorhood Models

• Author: Joel Bothello,Patrick Haack,Johanna Mair,Alex Bitektine
• Published date: 01 June 2020
• Date: 01 June 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12560

© 2020 Society for the Advancement of Management Studies and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inhabited Actors: Internalizing Institutions through

Communication and Actorhood Models

Alex Bitektinea, Patrick Haackb, Joel Bothelloa and

Johanna Mairc

aConcordia University; bUniversity of Lausanne; cHertie School & Stanford University

ABSTRACT We argue that accounts of relationships among actors, actorhood and institutions are

predominantly based on a spatial metaphor of actor s operating within institutions. We outline

how an inversion of this metaphor – i.e., the perspective that institutions inhabit actors – may

prove generative for theory, particularly with respect to recent discussions about the microfoun-

dations of institutions. We outline how communication and actorhood models function as trans-

mission mechanisms of institutions from one actor to another. We conclude with a discussion of

how the inverted metaphor of institutions inhabiting actors can be useful for future theoretical

developments.

Keywords: actorhood models, institutional embeddedness, institutions, metaphors, social

actors

INTRODUCTION

Although ‘modern social and cultural environments are filled with models of actorhood’

(John W. Meyer, 2010, p. 10), the relationship between institutions and actors remains

unclear. Actors are portrayed either as being constrained by institutions, or as sustain-

ing, challenging and otherwise modifying them. Such conceptualizations are based on

a widely taken-for-granted spatial metaphor that treats actors as operating within insti-

tutions. Yet novel theoretical developments often require a different engagement with

metaphors: as Bacharach (1989) remarks, ‘metaphors are not theories but may well serve

as precursors to theories’ (pp. 497–98). We argue that inverting the spatial metaphor may

serve as a helpful heuristic in the generation of new theor y and aid in developing insightful

Journal of Man agement Studi es 57:4 June 2020

doi:10. 1111/j om s. 125 6 0

Address for reprints: Alex Bitektine, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, 1450 Guy St,

Montreal, Quebec H3H 0A1, Canada (alex.bitektine@concordia.ca).