Practising institutional logics: arranging digitalization in cardiology

Abstract

Institutional logics literature has made an important contribution in understanding non-linear processes of innovation. While some works insist on the importance of considering how the different institutional logics follow each other, and thus on the concepts of power and organisational field, others indicate that in general, theories on innovation management need new theoretical support. One aspect that needs to be considered further is the way in which organisations adopt innovations in the face of institutional ambiguity. This is the case with digitalization and its impact on organisations. Scholars state that digitalization, being an institutional logic by itself, is increasingly being adopted by organisations that struggle to accommodate new belief systems and arrangements with ‘legacy' practices. In this sense, less addressed in this literature is the understanding of the work that organisations need to perform to adopt a new institutional logic. Starting with a case study in a cardiology department in Northern Italy, this paper analyses how a digital health institutional logic is adopted in cardiology by trying to identify the different arrangements constructed by the different organisational and field actors. The work confirms the importance of the institutional logic approach, offering a contribution to highlight how digital transformation in the health sector is mainly characterised by local responses to the challenges faced.