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John Commons's organizational theory of institutions: a discussion

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  • CHAVANCE, BERNARD

Abstract

The paper discusses John R. Commons's original theory of institutions, where the latter are defined as going concerns and their working rules, or collective action restraining and expanding individual action. Such organizational approach of institutions makes important contributions to institutional economics in general, through its notion of a hierarchy of collective action, its threefold typology of transactions, and its holindividualist stance. Commons's genuine advances are counterbalanced by theoretical limits, which illustrate the unfinished character of his attempt to make a contribution to a ‘rounded-out theory of Political economy’, e.g. the ambiguous place of markets in his theory, the state understood as a model for other going concerns and, distinctly, the restricted definition of institutions as organizations. In some important respects, his theory complements or goes further than other currents of institutional economics; its weak points are sometimes the reverse side of his very contributions.

Suggested Citation

  • Chavance, Bernard, 2012. "John Commons's organizational theory of institutions: a discussion," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(1), pages 27-47, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:8:y:2012:i:01:p:27-47_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Diana Dmitrievna Burkaltseva & Oleg Valerievich Boychenko & Olga Sergeevna Sivash & Nicholas Maksimovich Mazur & Snezhana Anatolyevna Zotova & Aleksey Valeryevich Novikov, 2017. "The Construction of the Digital Organizational, Social and Economic Production Mechanism in the Agro-industry," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4B), pages 350-365.
    2. Vitaliy Vasilievich Biryukov & Elena Vasilievna Romanenko, 2017. "Economic Behavior of Business Entities, Culture and Institutions: Specifics of their Interrelations in Conditions of Neo-Industrialization," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4A), pages 370-385.
    3. Yefimov, Vladimir, 2013. "От Машин Удовольствия К Моральным Сообществам (Размышления Над Новой Книгой Джеффри Ходжсона) [From pleasure machines to moral communities (Reflections on a new book by Geoffrey Hodgson)]," MPRA Paper 49024, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Frolov, Daniil, 2019. "From transaction costs to transaction value: Overcoming the Coase-Williamson paradigm," MPRA Paper 95959, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Charis Vlados & Nikolaos Deniozos & Demosthenes Chatzinikolaou & Michail Demertzis, 2018. "Perceiving Competitiveness under the Restructuring Process of Globalization," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(8), pages 135-135, June.
    6. Véronique Meuriot & Guillaume Lacquement, 2015. "Interdisciplinarité et logique du tiers inclus," Post-Print hal-02471944, HAL.
    7. Hüsnü BİLİR, 2018. "Commons ve Mitchell’in “İktisat” ve “Birey” Anlayışları," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 26(37).
    8. Yefimov, Vladimir, 2013. "Philosophie et science économiques : leur contribution respective aux discours politiques [Economic philosophy and economic science: their respective contributions to political discourse]," MPRA Paper 54598, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Buchs, Arnaud, 2014. "Comprendre le changement institutionnel," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 16.
    10. Ronen Peter Palan, 2020. "An evolutionary approach to international political economy: the case of corporate tax avoidance," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 1(2), pages 161-182, August.

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