The Iterative Process of Legitimacy-Building in Hybrid Organizations

Hybrid organizations face the fundamental challenge of building legitimacy. To deal with this in administrative theory and practice, we apply an analytical framework following organizational logic legitimacy to exemplary case hybridity—the Swiss Institute for Translational Entrepreneurial Medicine. Our application illustrates that pragmatic (i.e., establishing instrumental value) must be built before moral fostering normative evaluation) cognitive creating comprehensibility), followed by iterative process mutual influence between forms. Originating management literature, promises new insights public administration research on hybrids.