Myth and ceremony
Meyer and Rowan (1977) argued formal structures reflect rationalised institutional myths that bring legitimacy, so organisations keep them ceremonially while decoupling practice, a core claim of neo-institutionalism.
Isomorphism and loose coupling
Weick (1976) described loosely coupled systems, a condition for decoupling. DiMaggio and Powell (1983) explained institutional isomorphism; Boxenbaum and Jonsson (2008) reviewed both strands.
Recoupling and types
Tilcsik (2010) and Hallett (2010) showed recoupling, and Bromley and Powell (2012) distinguished policy–practice from means–ends decoupling, relevant to bureaucracy and street-level bureaucrats.
FAQ
- What is decoupling in simple terms?
- An organisation shows it adopted proper rules but works differently in practice.
- Is decoupling bad?
- Not always; it can help manage conflicting demands but may leave goals unmet.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363. The founding paper.
- Weick, K. E. (1976). Educational organizations as loosely coupled systems. Administrative Science Quarterly, 21(1), 1–19. Loose coupling.
- DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160. Institutional isomorphism.
- Boxenbaum, E., & Jonsson, S. (2008). Isomorphism, diffusion and decoupling. In R. Greenwood, C. Oliver, K. Sahlin, & R. Suddaby (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of organizational institutionalism (pp. 78–98). SAGE. Handbook review.
- Tilcsik, A. (2010). From ritual to reality: Demography, ideology, and decoupling in a post-communist government agency. Academy of Management Journal, 53(6), 1474–1498. Decoupling eroded by demography.
- Hallett, T. (2010). The myth incarnate: Recoupling processes, turmoil, and inhabited institutions in an urban elementary school. American Sociological Review, 75(1), 52–74. Recoupling in a school.
- Bromley, P., & Powell, W. W. (2012). From smoke and mirrors to walking the talk: Decoupling in the contemporary world. Academy of Management Annals, 6(1), 483–530. Policy–practice vs means–ends.