ESPF Colloquium Emanuela Ceva

Title: The Architecture of Institutional Action

Abstract:

The paper analyzes the internal structure of institutional action, transcending the public/non-public divide. Recent research highlights that the raison d’être of public institutions is neither static nor univocal, rendering institutional action inherently open-textured. This paper questions whether this characteristic can be generalized across the public/non-public divide, thereby re-evaluating the state/firm analogy. The paper re-examines the raison d’être of institutions through teleological, functionalist, and interactive accounts. It emphasizes that an interactive view aptly responds to the fluid and reflective nature of public institutional action, attuned to the mutual accountability relations between officeholders. In considering private firms, the paper contrasts the view of office liability with the mutual accountability inherent in public institutions. It raises questions about evolving corporate purposes and structures, including participatory governance and workplace democracy, drawing parallels with public institutions. The paper concludes that a conceptualization of the architecture of institutional action across sectors is both possible and promising. This alignment depends on the degree of "open-texturedness" within institutional architectures, emphasizing the internal reflective dynamics of officeholders’ interactions.

Contact Charlotte Knowles (c.e.knowles rug.nl) for information.