The institutionalization of emerging strategies for mimetic isomorphism

Abstract

One of the most fertile fields in the study of the strategies is the game theory, a branch of mathematics that aims to capture the behavior of individuals in strategic situations, in which the success of the decision of a player depends on the decisions taken by the other participants. In this case, the strategy is a pattern of behavior or actions, intentional or not. The approach of institutionalization appears as a theoretical alternative, seeking to understand the motives of a surprising homogeneity of institutional practices. This study aims to analyze the dynamics of isomorphism by simulating the evolution of the strategies of micro and small entrepreneurs in relation to the pricing strategy made by suppliers. This proposal used a simulation model of evolutionary game theory, using genetic algorithm to encode the strategies of micro and small entrepreneurs. The simulations were finished after 500 generations. A graphical analysis of the behavior of standard deviations of the strategies of micro and small enterprises obtained the following conclusions: (1) there was clear occurrence of isomorphic processes, both coercive and mimetic, significantly reducing the difference in strategies of micro and small businesses, and (2) this process isomorphic indicates the institutionalization of certain strategies that now prevail in simulated populations. It is believed that the proposed simulation method is useful for studying the dynamics of isomorphism strategies, further work can be performed by comparing simulations with different assumptions, allowing to identify the effect of different degrees of variability of the environment or different degrees of innovation level isomorphism and speed of this process.