The Paradox Between Institutional Logics in Organizational Fields: The Case of Turkish Military Service Field

Abstract

Turkish military services field can be conceptualized for embracing two distinct and inconsistent types of institutional logics, namely; mandatory military service logic as the dominant and pragmatic logics as the alternatives. We examine the relationship between the dominant logic which determines legitimate organizational activities and alternative logics which are activated sporadically in the field of Turkish military services. From this standpoint, the circumstances whereby pragmatic logics as alternative institutional logics become effective in the field without devitalizing the dominant logic is explored. Broadly, the results indicate that dominant and alternative logics can support each other in order to preserve field's static condition, rather than interfere with each other so as to induce a permanent transformation.