IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v34y2023i2p700-721.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Settlement Constellations and the Dynamics of Fields Formed Around Social and Environmental Issues

Author

Listed:
  • Sean Buchanan

    (Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5V4, Canada)

  • Charlene Zietsma

    (Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802)

  • Dirk Matten

    (Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada)

Abstract

Firms are increasingly responding to social and environmental issues in highly complex and heterogeneous organizational fields that transcend national boundaries. Yet, we still have a limited understanding of how these fields are structured and the implications of structural variation on how issues are addressed over time. We advance theory in this area by arguing that issue fields are characterized by varying settlement constellations that structure these fields. We develop a typology of three settlement constellations—unified, fragmented, and bifurcated—and describe their impact on field structure and the challenges they raise for addressing field-defining issues. We then theorize the evolution of fields with different settlement constellations and explain how and why constellations are sustained over time as well as when they may change. Our paper helps advance theory on organizational fields, private regulation, and firm responses to social and environmental issues. More broadly, our paper highlights the unique position of organizational and institutional scholars to examine complex social and environmental issues, or “grand challenges.”

Suggested Citation

  • Sean Buchanan & Charlene Zietsma & Dirk Matten, 2023. "Settlement Constellations and the Dynamics of Fields Formed Around Social and Environmental Issues," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(2), pages 700-721, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:34:y:2023:i:2:p:700-721
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2022.1593
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1593
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.2022.1593?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:34:y:2023:i:2:p:700-721. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.