The Coercive Isomorphism Ripple Effect: An Investigation of Nonprofit Interlocks on Corporate Boards

Institutional theorists have long recognized that board interlocks serve as conduits of information, which can facilitate mimetic isomorphism under conditions of uncertainty. In contrast, the potential for coercive isomorphism—which is a response to direct coercion rather than uncertainty—to spread through board interlocks remains unknown. Drawing on the forced compliance literature from social psychology, we propose that coercive isomorphism...