The Failure of Hybrid Organizations: A Legitimation Perspective

ABSTRACT Organizational hybridity refers to the combination of multiple institutional logics and identities that, within an organizational setting, do not conventionally complement one another. In such conditions, organizations must develop strategies combine sustain their hybrid forms. Success, however, is inevitable. this article, we take a legitimacy-as-process perspective focus on failed Microfinance Organization (MFO) in African context Zambia. MFOs represent fascinating because nature need balance several competing demands. We utilise field interviews analyse process through which fail, analysing actor legitimation responses emerging identify three phases associated with these changes: 1) dependent coupling, (2) misaligning legitimation, (3) circumnavigating over conformity. Our findings emphasise that efforts are simply reverse those succeed. observe adaptive processes consistent successful hybrids but ultimately sow seeds eventual failure. This demonstrates re-think role alongside potential deleterious consequences.