The big bug: The legitimation of the edible insect sector in the Netherlands

This study analyzes the legitimation process of an emerging novel food sector in the European Union (EU). Current EU policies are cautious with regard to new food sources and new food technology, and we aim to determine how the sector is addressing both this caution as well as a general public that may be skeptical of its products. By utilizing a legitimacy strategy framework and conducting 19 semi-structured interviews with actors and experts in the Dutch edible insect sector, we assess the sector’s progress and limitations with regard to its legitimacy journey. The findings show that sector focus has thus far been on organization, intraindustry, and interindustry legitimacy strategies, and that additional emphasis on institutional strategies will be imperative to securing more accommodating legislation. In addition, the lack of a common vision, a strategic communication plan, and interfirm linkages may also be hindering sector legitimation. The framework and conclusions presented here may prove useful to other sectors introducing novel foods.     

基于社会责任和合法性视角的民营企业文化建设

民营企业文化建设是管理理论界一直关注的问题,也是民营企业管理者不断探索的实践问题。本文分析了民营企业文化建设的现存问题,并基于企业社会责任理论和合法性理论,提出了指导性的政策建议。     

New environmental policy instruments to realize forest expansion in Flanders (northern Belgium): A base for smart regulation?

This paper evaluates the current instrument mix, designs options for smart regulation and estimates the support base of new instruments for the forest expansion policy in Flanders (northern Belgium). The framework applied is a combination of theories on instrument choice (ICT), policy transfer and legitimacy. The ICT points out that there is a need for new environmental policy instruments (NEPI) oriented to private actors that inform them or create win–win situations for all involved parties. The need is especially high for farmers, who are key actors. The policy transfer analysis suggested instruments currently in use in the Netherlands, England and Denmark that can fulfill these needs. However, the acceptability – or legitimacy – of the suggested instruments in Flanders is only high for three of these, notably the carbon fund, flexible grant scheme and expert advice (especially by forest groups). This largely fills some smart regulation gaps, like the need for information (expert advice), the involvement of other institutional actors (certifiers, forest groups) and the higher involvement of the private sector (all). However, some gaps, such as flexible land purchase through cooperation with real estate agents or other private agents and opportunities for win–win outcomes with farmers, remain. Thus, it is not possible to fully optimize the instrument mix in accordance with the smart regulation requirements in Flanders’ forest expansion policy at this moment. However, as continuity or incremental change is characteristic of most public policy, this does not mean that the suggested changes will be impossible in the near future, especially with the changing character of the rural space.     

Mythical representations of trust in auditors and the preservation of social order in the financial community

The present paper investigates financial practitioners’ use and perception of audited financial statements. In-depth interviews, which we conducted with Canadian institutional investors, financial analysts and bankers, indicate: (1) a firm tendency to favour the quality of management over the content of financial statements in investment decisions and recommendation processes; and (2) a fundamental scepticism regarding the work of auditors. However, representations of auditor trustworthiness abound in formal texts surrounding the financial analysis domain—as if audited financial statements and the trust they convey towards numbers are indispensable to the work of financial analysts. Based on the work of Roland Barthes, we argue that financial practitioners’ trust in auditors constitutes a mythical representation whose main function is to maintain order and reproduce status quo within the financial system.     

组织合法性：微观层面的理论研究与前沿分析

组织合法性作为企业生存发展的重要资源，一直是学界研究热点。基于CiteSpace可视化分析软件，依据Web of Science数据库2008-2017年已有文献，绘制组织合法性引文聚类图、关键词演化趋势图及最近180天高频关键词分布图，对微观层面组织合法性引文关系、热点议题进行分析。研究发现：①在微观层面组织合法性研究中，以企业方面的研究最为突出；②在组织合法性研究中，企业社会责任理论、市场划分理论等是最新凸显的研究视角；③组织合法性战略及组织合法性获取仍是该研究阶段热点，其中组织合法性双刃性研究是最新凸显的议题。     

初创农民合作社如何获得组织合法性--基于对案例的分析

战略管理理论视角下,组织合法性是初创组织获得资源的前提。文章以Scott(1995)对组织合法性的分类以及Zimmer－man&Zeitz(2002)对组织合法性获得战略的分类为基础,搭建起二维分析框架,运用解释性案例研究方法,对初创农民合作社如何运用不同的战略以获得不同的合法性进行分析。研究发现,初创农民合作社通过适应环境战略获得规制合法性,通过适应环境战略和控制环境的战略获得规范合法性和认知合法性。同时发现,初创农民合作社在获得合法性时,并没有运用选择环境战略和创造环境战略。该研究不仅赋予组织合法性全新的研究背景,同时对初创农民合作社如何取得合法性以获得创业资源具有指导意义。     

非民主政治：中国政治现代化的选择

政治现代化与政治改革是相伴生的，要取得政治发展就需要对改革手段的选择。民主政治是政治现代化的主流追求，民主政治也是中国国家政权建设一直力图实现的目标。在中国具体国情框架下，为避免民主的弊端，一些非民主政治模式也可以成为中国政治现代化过程中对民主政治的替代选择。无论是怎样的选择，它们都始终是为了获取合法性资源，并为国家政权的稳定与发展服务。     

Global expectations and their association with corporate social disclosure practices in Australia, Singapore, and South Korea

This paper explores the social disclosure policies of large Australian, Singaporean, and South Korean multinational corporations. The researchers advanced arguments about why large multinational corporations respond to “global expectations” rather than simply to the expectations of those people residing in the corporation's “home” country. Two large international surveys conducted in 1998 and 1999 are used to determine global expectations. The results of the testing indicate a minimal association between global expectations, as represented by the two surveys, and social disclosure policies of large multinational corporations. Consistent with previous research, country of origin and industry of operation appear to significantly influence disclosure practices.     

To bargain or not to bargain: Airlines,legitimacy and nonmarket strategy in a COVID-19 world

Nonmarket strategy – strategic actions directed at influencing the governmental, legalregulatory, and societal environment of business – is a key factor in an airlines' competitive position yet remains relatively under-analyzed in aviation research. The COVID-19 crisis has created a heightened role for nonmarket strategy and our paper argues that in deciding how to respond to a variety of policy measures introduced by governments, airline executives need to take into account the perceived legitimacy from the flying public of their response to governments. Our paper presents an integrative framework to analyze airlines' nonmarket response to COVID-19 governmental policy measures. Using a two-by-two matrix, we identify key conceptual links between industry's nonmarket response, the health impacts of a given policy measure as well as its economic costs for the airlines. Our study concludes that, unless economic stakes in a given policy measure are high, airlines do not risk active bargaining with governments over the content of that measure. Such bargaining could trigger a delegitimation cascade: a self-reinforcing process in which key stakeholders reassess their view of airlines' conduct and the industry's broader societal impact. Bargaining is pursued when economic impacts of policy measures are high, and in that case, the choice between cooperative and adversarial posture towards the government depends on the health impact of a given policy.