Perceived success of hybrid microorganizations in a contested category

ABSTRACT

The organizational literature privileges objective performance indicators often selected by researchers. There is scarce research focusing on legitimacy-challenged hybrid and microorganizations and on perceived success under exigent conditions. To address this scarcity, this study, conducted among complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) microorganizations, explores success as a subjective measure originating from managers’ perceptions. For the purpose, it integrates cognitive mapping and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA)—a methodological contribution to construct a subjective-success framework that can be helpful for contested hybrid microorganizations. Seven factors emerged, of which human capital is recognized as critical, while external factors are considered unimportant.

KEYWORDS:

• Microorganizations
• subjective perceived success
• hybrid organizations
• complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
• cognitive mapping
• multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA)

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by National Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) under the projects [SFRH/BD/75698/2011, UID/GES/00315/2013, UID/GES/00315/2019, UID/ECO/00124/2013] and by POR Lisboa under the project [LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007722].