Driving the Life Cycle of News Organizations

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Paper Session: Journalism Studies Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

According to some organizational change theories, news organizations run through life cycles. In fact, in the 21st century many of them reached the stage of decline. The Internet as a disruptive innovation endangers their survival. Thus, they need to re-invent themselves. But what drives organizational life cycles? Newsroom convergence processes provide a setting to investigate the mechanism underlying organizational development. This study aims to contribute to theory building based on inductive case studies conducted in different sections of two major Swiss quality newspapers. Based on this data and shaped by (behavioral) economics and organizational theories on change and inertia, a theory framework emerged: It proposes that organizational change and inertia are the result of a multi-level decision making process inside news organizations in which members of dominant coalitions pursue their preferences related to quality and thereby also shape restrictions for quality. This drives the life cycle of news organizations.

Author

• Bartosz Wilczek, Universita della Svizzera italiana