The logic of appropriateness

Institutionalism and European Governance
Seminar at Stockholm University, October 19, 2006

With two articles as basis of the discussion of Johan P. Olsen’s seminar in Stockholm (March and Olsen 2005; March and Olsen 2006), he lectured about the development of new institutional organisation theory since the 1960-ies up until today. He proudly stated that his classic article, which he wrote together with James March from Stanford for more than two decades ago (March and Olsen 1984), is the 6th ever most cited article in the world renowned academic journal The American Political Science Review. Impressive indeed! Now, besides given us a short, although serviceable version of all his books and articles from the last 25 years, he also invoked some laughter.

For example, on the question whether he could to name at least three books that use the new institutional theory as a design of empirical methods, Olsen replied: “Few people try it out, all to find that it doesn’t really work.” He later told us that institutional theory rather is an approach to the world than a method of studies. This whole discussion gave me an insight that I earlier had only suspected: new institutional theory is good to have in the luggage, but bad to use on the empirical field.

References

March, James G. and Johan P. Olsen. 1984. "The New Institutionalism: Organizational Factors in Political Life." The American Political Science Review 78:734-749.
—. 2005. "Elaborating the "New Institutionalism"." Oslo: University of Oslo Centre for European Studies.
—. 2006. "The logic of appropriateness." in The Oxford handbook of political institutions, edited by R. A. W. Rhodes, S. A. Binder, and B. A. Rockman.