Strategies of Legitimacy in A New Industry

Guided by institutional theory and Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this dissertation examines the strategies used by e-Learning vendors in Singapore to acquire legitimacy for themselves in the very early stages of the industry''s growth between 2002 and 2006. A detailed analysis of their strategies reveals a range responses provoked by institutional pressures and critical incidents – these shed new light on institutionalist models of legitimation. Findings from this study highlight the relational, emergent nature of the legitimacy-building process and suggest, firstly, that new ventures in emerging industries require different kinds of legitimacy at different times of their development; secondly, that they need to seek diverse sources of legitimacy at early stages and, thirdly, that institutional change, critical events and other disruptions create conditions under which these new ventures may embark upon acts of identity-creation and alternative theorizations. The dissertation concludes with a summary of these implications for practice and further research.