Abstract
New public management is a major paradigm in public administration, and its widespread adoption has been explained by institutional theory. However, most studies treat adoption as a discrete event and cannot explain why some organizations are moving away in the face of isomorphic pressure. We investigate three dimensions of isomorphism—convergence, compliance, and commitment—and test their separate effects on interorganizational similarity in adopting private service delivery, a primary form of outsourcing, among U.S. local governments. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the multiplicity of isomorphism and by showing how variation occurs in the isomorphic process.
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