Institutional pressures and the diffusion of organisational innovation: evidence from Brazilian firms

The aim of this paper is to present empirical evidence on the influence of institutional pressures and the role of legitimacy when it comes to the diffusion of organisational innovations. Based on institutional and organisational innovation theory, three types of institutional pressures were measured: mimetic, normative and coercive. Using data from over 17.000 Brazilian companies collected between 2008 and 2014, statistical analysis demonstrated that mimetic pressures had no influence on the diffusion of organisational innovations; that the main force behind the diffusion of organisational innovations was normative institutional pressures; and that coercive pressures had no impact on the diffusion of organisational innovations in general or on green innovations specifically. These results contradict previous empirical research and the current understanding of institutional pressures and organisational innovation.