UNDERSTANDING OF INSTITUTIONALISM AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SYSTEMS THEORY

摘要

From the perspective of systems theory, institutionalism can contribute to the socialrnsciences as a middle-range theory. Institutionalism, which began at the witnessingrnof problems of methodological individualism, could be understood under thernsystems theory in general and its structural analysis in particular. Institutions arernobservable rules and constraints that are nested in the structure of the system, andrntheir persistence is not relevant to efficiency but to adaptation to the demandsrnformed by environmental changes. Institutional changes occur as a result ofrnaccumulation of adaptation lag, while individuals and organizations becomerndriving forces for the changes. What should be noted is that institutional adaptationrnlag both in time and in depth to the changing environment may bring about notrnonly changes of themselves but also system change. Institutional change andrnsystem change are irreversible process and have indeterminacy in the direction;rnhowever, they do not always occur randomly.