Abstract

Organization theory (OT) is a vibrant academic field that addresses fundamental questions about the imperatives and challenges that organizations face. In this essay, we wish to show the vibrancy of organization studies in the 21st century and to invigorate future scholarship in two ways. First, we offer a synthetic overview of Organization Studies as it has developed in the European tradition. Second, we zoom in into our own theoretical home – organizational institutionalism – and discuss more in-depth the trajectory of research in this domain. We draw on our own research and flesh out research opportunities that we consider particularly intriguing as future research endeavors in the field of organization theory.