As the roots suggest, macromorphic means of or relating to the big form or taking on a big shape. John Lammers and I coined the term in the Fall of 2001 to describe how organizations tend to pattern themselves based in part on institutions. Macromorphic should call to mind that there are institutional ideals that exist outside of organizations yet still act on organizations. Lammers (2001) wrote, "Institutions are best thought of as macromorphic patterns of behavior, beliefs, and structures within which organizations have life and much dyadic communication can be taken for granted" (p. 7), and, "Institutional perspectives direct our attention to these macromorphic structures that influence behavior at the micromorphic level" (p. 9).

On this site, we plan to post materials, publications, ideas, and meanderings (macromorphia) that captures this idea.