Materiality in institutional work: shaping the emerging logic of policy co-creation

Following the material turn in the study of institutions, this research focuses on the tangible elements actors use to influence institutions. Specifically, in the context of an institutional void surrounding the emergence of a new institutional logic, we seek to understand how actors utilise materiality in their institutional work to shape this new logic. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study based on a single case, analysing the emergence of the logic of co-creation. This logic, which advocates for the inclusion of citizens in decision-making processes, poses challenges to public organisations. We explore how this logic emerged in a French municipality through the implementation of co-creation workshops with citizens. Our research involved observations, interviews and the collection of secondary data to achieve an in-depth understanding of our case study and its complexities. Our findings reveal that three forms of materiality – artefacts and objects, space and time, bodies and embodiment – are particularly relevant in institutional work. These forms play multiple roles in institutional work, illustrating both the enabling and constraining aspects of materiality. This study underscores the strategic role of materiality in the process of institutional work.