Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relationship Between Legitimacy and Organizational Success

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Organizational Legitimacy

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between legitimacy and success in the high education sector. To do so the relationship between legitimacy and organizational results is analysed as well as the relationship between legitimacy and the access to resources. Eight hypotheses related to the legitimacy of the European Higher Education Area in the public universities of Madrid (Spain) are proposed. Hypotheses are tested by using data from students (783 questionnaires), teachers (761 questionnaires) and other publicly available secondary data. Results suggest differences according to the source and the type of legitimacy analysed. There is no appreciable relation between teacher’s legitimacy and their results. However, universities with high teacher’s legitimacy show better access to resources. Regarding student’s legitimacy, we found that universities with high legitimacy obtain a little more better result. Furthermore, high student’s legitimacy leads to better access to resources. This research provides answers to some gaps of the legitimacy literature. Do greatest legitimacy organizations obtain better results? Do they get better access to resources? What type of legitimacy lead to better organizational results?

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahlstrom, D., & Bruton, G. D. (2001). Learning from successful local private firms in China: Establishing legitimacy. Academy of Management Executive, 15, 72–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahlstrom, D., Bruton, G. D., & Yeh, K. S. (2008). Private firms in China: Building legitimacy in an emerging economy. Journal of World Business, 43, 385–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alcantara, L., Mitsuhashi, H., & Hoshino, Y. (2006). Legitimacy in international joint ventures: It is still needed. Journal of International Management, 12, 389–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldrich, H. E., & Fiol, C. M. (1994). Fools rush in – the institutional context of industry creation. Academy of Management Review, 19, 645–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, S. J., Handelman, J., & Tigert, D. J. (1996). Organizational legitimacy and retail store patronage. Journal of Business Research, 35, 229–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashforth, B. E., & Gibbs, B. W. (1990). The double-edge of organizational legitimation. Organization Science, 1, 177–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aupperle, K. E., Carroll, A. B., & Hatfield, J. D. (1985). An empirical-examination of the relationship between corporate social-responsibility and profitability. Academy of Management Journal, 28, 446–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balabanis, G., Phillips, H. C., & Lyall, J. (1998). Corporate social responsibility and economic performance in the top British companies: Are they linked? European Business Review, 98, 25–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bansal, P., & Clelland, I. (2004). Talking trash: Legitimacy, impression management, and unsystematic risk in the context of the natural environment. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 93–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barreto, I., & Baden-Fuller, C. (2006). To conform or to perform? Mimetic behaviour, legitimacy-based groups and performance consequences. Journal of Management Studies, 43, 1559–1581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, J. A. C., & Oliver, C. (1991). Institutional linkages and organizational mortality. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 187–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bianchi, & Ostale. (2006). Lessons learned from unsuccessful internationalization attempts: Examples of multinational retailers in Chile. Journal of Business Research, 59(2006), 140–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bitektine, A. (2011). Toward a theory of social judgments of organizations: The case of legitimacy, reputation, and status. Academy of Management Review, 36(1), 151–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, E., & Zinkhan, G. M. (2006). Nonresponse and generalizability in academic research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 34, 4–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-González, A., Cruz-Suárez, A., & Díez-Martín, F. (2015). The EFQM model as an instrument to legitimise organisations. In M. Peris-Ortiz, J. Álvarez-García, & C. Rueda-Armengot (Eds.), Achieving competitive advantage through quality management (pp. 155–169). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-González, A., Prado-Román, C., & Díez-Martín, F. (2017). Building a European legitimacy index. American Behavioral Scientist, 61(5), 509–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bozeman, B. (1993). Understanding the roots of publicness. In B. Sutton (Ed.), The legitimate corporation. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, A. D. (1998). Narrative, politics and legitimacy in an IT implementation. Journal of Management Studies, 35, 35–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, H. Y., Griffith, D. A., & Hu, M. Y. (2006). The influence of liability of foreignness on market entry strategies. International Marketing Review, 23, 636–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cruz-Suárez, A., Prado-Román, A., & Prado-Román, M. (2014). Cognitive legitimacy, resource access, and organizational outcomes. RAE-Revista de Administração de Empresas, 54(5), 575–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deephouse, D. L. (1996). Does isomorphism legitimate? Academy of Management Journal, 39, 1024–1039.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deephouse, D., & Suchman, M. (2008). Legitimacy in organizational institutionalism. In R. Greenwood, C. Oliver, R. Suddaby, & K. Sahlin-Andersson (Eds.), The sage handbook of organizational institutionalism. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Déniz Déniz, M., & García Cabrera, A. (2011). El isomorfismo mimético y las ventajas de localización como determinantes de la elección del modo de entrada. Revista Europea de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 20, 105–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-de-Castro, E., Díez-Martín, F., & Vázquez-Sánchez, A. (2015). Antecedentes de la institucionalización de las organizaciones. Cuadernos de Gestión, 15(1), 15–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diez-Martin, F., Blanco-Gonzalez, A., & Prado-Roman, C. (2010a). Legitimidad como factor clave del éxito organizativo. Investigaciones Europeas de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 16(3), 127–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diez-Martin, F., Blanco-Gonzalez, A., & Prado-Roman, C. (2010b). Measuring organizational legitimacy: The case of Mutual Guarantee Societies. Cuadernos de Economia y Direccion de la Empresa, 43(junio), 115–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Martín, F., Prado-Roman, C., & Blanco-González, A. (2013). Beyond legitimacy: Legitimacy types and organizational success. Management Decision, 51(10), 1954–1969.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Martín, F., Blanco-González, A., & Prado-Román, C. (2016). Explaining nation-wide differences in entrepreneurial activity: a legitimacy perspective. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal,12(4), 1079–1102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dimaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited – institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48, 147–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dornbush, S. M., & Scott, W. R. (1975). Evaluation and the exercise of authority. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elsbach, K. D., & Sutton, R. I. (1992). Acquiring organizational legitimacy through illegitimate actions – a marriage of institutional and impression management theories. Academy of Management Journal, 35, 699–738.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, R., Suddaby, R., & Hinings, C. R. (2002). Theorizing change: The role of professional associations in the transformation of institutionalized fields. Academy of Management Journal, 45, 58–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, C. S., & Aldrich, H. E. (1996). Why even Rodney Dangerfield has a home page: Legitimizing the world wide web as a medium for commercial endeavours, Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Cincinnati, Ohio: Academy of Management.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kannan-Narasimhan, R. (2014). Organizational ingenuity in nascent innovations: Gaining resources and legitimacy through unconventional actions. Organization Studies, 35(4), 483–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamin, A., & Zaheer, S. (2012). Wall street vs. main street: Firm strategies for defending legitimacy and their impact on different stakeholders. Organization Science, 23(1), 47–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J. T., Yang, J. Y., & Yue, D. R. (2007). Identity community, and audience: How wholly owned foreign subsidiaries gain legitimacy in China. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 175–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Low, B., & Johnston, W. (2008). Securing and managing an organizations network legitimacy: The case of Motorola China. Industrial Marketing Management, 37, 873–879.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations – formal-structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83, 340–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, C. (1991). Strategic responses to institutional processes. Academy of Management Review, 16, 145–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortega Castro, V., Pérez Esparrells, C., & Morales Sequera, S. (2008) La financiación de las Universidades Públicas de la Comunidad de Madrid y su aplicación a la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Madrid, Spain: Consejo Social, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. (1960). Structure and process in modern societies. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patriotta, G., Gond, J.-P., & Schultz, F. (2011). Maintaining legitimacy: Controversies, orders of worth, and public justifications. Journal of Management Studies, 48(8), 1804–1836.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollack, J. M., Rutherford, M. W., & Nagy, B. G. (2012). Preparedness and cognitive legitimacy as antecedents of new venture funding in televised business pitches. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 36(5), 915–939.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruef, M., & Scott, W. R. (1998). A multidimensional model of organizational legitimacy: Hospital survival in changing institutional environments. Administrative Science Quarterly, 43, 877–904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford, M. W., & Buller, P. F. (2007). Searching for the legitimacy threshold. Journal of Management Inquiry, 16, 78–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1977). Effectiveness of organizational effectiveness studies. In P. S. Goodman & J. M. Pennings (Eds.), New perspectives on organizational effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1994). Institutions and organizations: Toward a theoretical synthesis. In W. R. Scott & J. W. Meyer (Eds.), Institutional environments and organizations: Structural complexity and individualism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1995). Institutions and organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R., & Meyer, J. W. (1991). The organization o societal sectors. In W. W. Powell & P. J. DiMaggio (Eds.), The new institutionalism in organizational analysis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20, 571–610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, T. E. (2005). Are business students buying it? A theoretical framework for measuring attitudes toward the legitimacy of environmental sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment, 14, 186–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tornikoski, E. T., & Newbert, S. L. (2007). Exploring the determinants of organizational emergence: A legitimacy perspective. Journal of Business Venturing, 22, 311–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R. (2006). Psychological perspectives on legitimacy and legitimation. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 375–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Überbacher, F. (2014). Legitimation of new ventures: A review and research programme. Journal of Management Studies, 51(4), 667–698.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanhonacker, W. R. (2000). A better way to crack China. Harvard Business Review, 78, 20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaheer, S. (1995). Overcoming the liability of foreignness. Academy of Management Journal, 38, 341–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeitz, G., Mittal, V., & Mcaulay, B. (1999). Distinguishing adoption and entrenchment of management practices: A framework for analysis. Organization Studies, 20, 741–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zelditch, M. (2001). Processes of legitimation: Recent developments and new directions. Social Psychology Quarterly, 64, 4–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, M. A., & Zeitz, G. J. (2002). Beyond survival: Achieving new venture growth by building legitimacy. Academy of Management Review, 27, 414–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, L. G. (1987). Institutional theories of organization. Annual Review of Sociology, 13, 443–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Sciences, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France

    Serge Miranda

  2. Department of Business Economics, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain

    Ana Cruz-Suarez & Miguel Prado-Román

Authors
  1. Serge Miranda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana Cruz-Suarez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Miguel Prado-Román
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana Cruz-Suarez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

    Emilio Díez-De-Castro

  2. Organizacion de Empresas Camino de Vera, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

    Marta Peris-Ortiz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Miranda, S., Cruz-Suarez, A., Prado-Román, M. (2018). Relationship Between Legitimacy and Organizational Success. In: Díez-De-Castro, E., Peris-Ortiz, M. (eds) Organizational Legitimacy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75990-6_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation