Identity as Constraint and Resource in Interest Group Evolution: A Case of Radical Organizational Change

Summary

While group scholars have long noted instances of change in overall form – say from amateur scientific group to environmental campaign group – the literature is short on persuasive accounts of the mechanism(s) that drive or constrain such radical change. How can we explain groups getting from form A to form B? In this article we explore how tools from the historical institutionalism literature might aid in the analytical process. Specifically we focus on the combination of focussing events, internal challengers to the status-quo, and the capability of challengers to demonstrate to key audiences that the ‘radical’ change is in some way consistent with the founding ideology of the group. We demonstrate the application of this approach by examining a case of radical change – a shift in overall form – in a well known UK interest group, the Soil Association.