Structural Hybridization and Dual Roles: A Case Study of Coexisting Logics in a Government Agency

Abstract

The area of coexisting institutional logics has been extensively discussed at the field and organizational level. However, there is currently a lack of research on the role of individual actors in creating and sustaining organizational hybrids, e.g. organizations operating under contradicting logics. In this study, how coexisting logics are sustained by individuals is investigated through the case of a Swedish government agency. Where the implementation of an agile work approach within the IT and Service development departments has allowed for the emergence and establishment of a second logic. Through data collection, it is evident that the introduction of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) has contributed to a minority logic, the professional logic, now existing alongside the established dominant state logic in a compartment of the government agency. Moreover, the role of individual middle managers who possess dual roles in the compartment are identified as key facilitators as they are determined to both protect and mediate the two logics through individual separation. This being the managers ability to enact the appropriate logic depending on the situation and context. This study contributes to the existing literature on institutional logics and structural hybrids by presenting an example where a compartment containing more than one logic is sustained by individual actors' capability to shield and segment logics on a daily basis through their possession of dual organizational roles.