Reconciling institutional theory with organizational theories : How neoinstitutionalism resolves five paradoxes

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to review and compare traditional and new institutional postulates in order to address some of the criticism that this theory has received. Design/methodology/approach – Throughout this paper, five interesting paradoxes are presented in management contexts of change, the creation of competitive advantages, and organizational behaviour. Findings – Light is shed on the integration efforts that seek to combine institutional theory with transaction cost theory, the resource‐based view of the firm, and the resource dependence theory. Originality/value – The paper reviews the Oliver contribution work done around neoinstitutional theory. The paper offers a different view of organizational change, the creation of competitive advantage, and organizational behaviour.