Understanding variation in the adoption of an unconventional practice: the diffusion of English-medium instruction in the Turkish higher education field

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1689935 (Table of Contents)

Increasing evidence shows that both the content and extent of diffusing practices may vary across organizations and over time. Although there have been recent efforts towards identifying the organizational and field-level determinants of this variation, the emergence of practice variation is considered as an essential aspect of the implementation process. Yet, the determinants of implementation likely to be different than those of adoption. Current study contributes to the diffusion literature by identifying the institutional, competitive and organizational factors that may explain variation in the extent to which a diffusing practice is adopted by the members of an organizational field. Focusing on the diffusion of English-medium instruction in the Turkish higher education field, the study finds considerable support for the proposed mechanisms. Study hypotheses are tested through analyses conducted by using multilevel (mixed effect) models. The findings overall suggest that institutional processes lead to heterogeneity in the acceptance of a diffusing practice across the members of an organizational field, which is an important yet neglected determinant of practice variation in diffusion processes. Variation in the extent of adoption is also shaped through competitive interactions among similar organizations and the degree to which organizational resources are compatible with the diffusing practice.