Institutional Pressure and Failure Dynamics in the Swedish Voucher School Sector


 We conducted a comparative case study following the growth and decline of two largest private school organisations in Sweden from voucher deregulation 1992 until bankruptcy one 2013. Using archival data, hand-coded data relating to media exposure, interviews with managers company press releases, we have explored institutional pressure responses conformity resistance. Both studied constitute equity managed business groups, but rely on distinct strategies different types political market-based ties powerful stakeholders. Our results explain how organisational are intimately linked structure, furthermore may not translate into conditions which enhance survival as has been previously theorised.