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John Commons's organizational theory of institutions: a discussion

Author

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  • Bernard Chavance

    (LADYSS - Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - UPD7 - Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

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

  • Bernard Chavance, 2012. "John Commons's organizational theory of institutions: a discussion," Post-Print halshs-00733955, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00733955
    DOI: 10.1017/S1744137411000336
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    Cited by:

    1. Frolov, Daniil, 2019. "From transaction costs to transaction value: Overcoming the Coase-Williamson paradigm," MPRA Paper 95959, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. 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.
    3. Véronique Meuriot & Guillaume Lacquement, 2015. "Interdisciplinarité et logique du tiers inclus," Post-Print hal-02471944, HAL.
    4. Hüsnü BİLİR, 2018. "Commons ve Mitchell’in “İktisat” ve “Birey” Anlayışları," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 26(37).
    5. 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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