Beyond Transformational Change： Incremental Transformational Change in Institutions

Much has been written and researched about transformational change and the exogenous events that result in radical institutional transformation （Di Maggio ＆ Powell, 1983; Hannan＆ Freeman, 1989; Fligstein, 1996; Zorn, Dobbin, ＆ Kwok, 2006）. Accounts are provided of external agents disturbing the existing stasis of the institution and transforming the institution into something else that reflect a new paradigm or set of interests. Often, what is neglected in these accounts is what fractures exist in the original institution that would make them vulnerable and allow penetration by exogenous influences. Mahoney and Thelen （20 l 0） went beyond a general model of change that described the collapse of one set of institutional norms to be replaced by another. The model of change they propose takes into account both exogenous as well as endogenous factors as being the source of institutional change. They went on to state a view that transformation change as being a result of abrupt, wholesale breakdown needs to be rethought to include incremental, endogenous shifts in thinking that can often result in fundamental transformations.

Damage detection of frames using the increment of lateral displacement change

The method proposed in this paper is based on the fact that the damage in different types of structural members has distinctive influence on the structural stiffness. The intrinsic mechanical property of the structure is tapped and fully utilized for damage detection. The simplified model of the flexibility of frames treats the individual storeys as springs in series and the frame as an equivalent column. It fully considers the main deformation of all beams and columns in the frame. The deformation property of the simplified model accorded well with that of the actual frame model. The obtained increment of lateral displacement change (IOLDC) at the storey level was found to be very sensitive to the local damage in the frame. A damage detection method is pro- posed using the IOLDCs as the damage identification parameters. Numerical examples demonstrate the potential applicability of this method.

The Impact of Temporal and Political Context on Institutional Change

In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of institutional change, researchers need to go beyond a snapshot view of significant events but consider events in their temporal setting. Pierson （2004） advocated that the events that lead to institutional change should be placed in a moving temporal context, as this will not only add to our comprehension of the dynamics of change, but also enrich the existing research and enhance the theories we employ to give meaning to these events. Pierson （2004） laid the foundation for the research that was later developed by Thelen （2009） that considered incremental endogenous shifts in institutional thinking that can often result in fundamental transformations. The central issues of Pierson＇s （2004） thesis lay in his interpretation of history and its relationship with path dependence. He claimed that once an institution has chosen a particular path to follow, it can become locked into that pathway and so the options of choice are restricted. This then presumed that an institutions first choice of action is crucial to whether they become locked into a successful course of action or not. The result of the first choice being successful or not would be dependent on the presence of increasing returns. The explication Pierson proffers of increasing returns is different to an economic one in that it is based on positive feedback processes and politics in time. The implications of Pierson＇s work and those that followed have a very serious place in our understanding of institutional change.