Order without law? the role of certified management standards in shaping socially desired firm behaviors

Certified management standards (CMS), like norms, rely on decentralized enforcement processes to guide firm behaviors. I analyze how two elements of CMS—codification and certification—enable this institution to shape firm behaviors in settings where norms are ineffective. I further theorize that these same two elements limit the effectiveness of CMS by weakening enforcement processes. I contribute to institutional theory by identifying possibilities and limitations for normlike institutions to function beyond established boundary conditions.