5.5.3 Normative pressures
Normative pressures concern what we think we ‘should’ do. They concern our values and the broader social values to which we subscribe. Some organisations make explicit attempts to foster particular kinds of value (for example, in relation to customer service), but normative pressures also come from outside the organisation, such as from a particular professional or religious affiliation.
Institutional pressures are important for both private and public-sector organisations. However, they have especial relevance in the public sector, as noted by Lozeau et al.
Although all organizations are susceptible to institutional influences these pressures seem to take on greater importance in certain organizational fields, such as in domains where professional associations play a major role (e.g. accounting, medicine and law) and in governmental sectors where market pressures are dampened. In the public sector where there may be limited capability to assess simple bottom-line outcomes such as profitability, it becomes tempting for those who evaluate these organizations (governments, regulatory bodies, the public) to judge them on the basis of their processes. In such circumstances, the adoption of techniques that are viewed as rational, modern and progressive can enhance an organization's legitimacy.
(Lozeau et al., 2002, p.538)
An important aspect of institutional theory is the emphasis given to the different demands of the different contexts faced by decision makers. First, not all institutional pressures push in the same direction. For example, in a hospital setting there may be conflict between normative pressures arising out of the role of professional medical groups such as consultants and nurses, and coercive pressures from government bodies (e.g. see Lozeau et al., 2002). Secondly, there can be a conflict between institutional pressures and economic pressures arising out of the competitive environment.