Institutional anchoring refers to the institutional characteristics of the novelty, i.e. the new rules developed in relation to it. Drawing freely upon economic and sociological perspectives on institutions (North, 1990; Scott, 1995) we differentiate between three categories of institutions that can be translated into different forms of institutional anchoring. Cognitive or interpretative institutions relate to how people make sense of themselves and the world around them. This includes, for example, the causal beliefs, visions, and problem views (as related to social values and interests) to which they orient their behaviour and actions. Also the identity that people ascribe to themselves and others can be seen as an interpretative institution. A second broad category includes normative institutions. Here we speak of the translation of societal values into normative rules and aspirations (i.e. formal or informal rules about what is desirable and what not)that can be embedded in laws, regulations, policies and ethical standards. The third category is economic institutions which concern the rules and arrangements (e.g. contracts, trust, value chains and business networks) that govern markets and economic activities. Institutional anchoring then means that developments within a niche are translated into new or adapted (interpretative, normative or economic) rules that play a role, at least temporarily, in orienting the activities of both niche and regime actors.
Elzen et al. (2012) Anchoring of innovations: Assessing Dutch efforts to harvest energy from glasshouses. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Volume 5,, Pages 1-18
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