The study of interorganizational imitation has been an important strand in the recent literature on institutional theory. This paper offers new insights for our understanding of mimetic isomorphism and its reliance on legitimacy: we suggest that legitimacy-based reference groups guide firms in...

Based on a case study approach, the authors examine the question: are there some aspects of a company's core business which can and should be outsourced? This question challenges traditional models of strategy which maintain that outsourcing of core activities is risky. Four circumstances are...