Fred has started a new company but is having a difficult time getting support and backing from ...

Establishing legitimacy involves taking actions that conform to prevailing norms and expectations. The point is to not only be strategically correct but to have the appearance of being strategically correct. One way to achieve legitimacy is by associating with higher status individuals or organizations. Another way is to be seen as doing good deeds in the community. A third way is to make very visible responses to social trends and legal legislation. The most common way of achieving legitimacy is to imitate management practices that other firms have institutionalized.