Geography and institutional change: insights from a container terminal operator

The paper investigates the relationship between space and institutional change by studying the evolution and development of Hongkong International Terminals (HIT): a Hong Kong-based firm with a highly established institutional system, in the early 1990s. We investigate how HIT has made effective use of space to undertake organizational evolution, regional expansion, and finally establish itself as a global player in container terminal operations. Simultaneously, we illustrate how penetration across space has generated proactive forces that have fundamentally transformed HIT's institutional system. The study offers insights to the dynamic relationship between space and institutional change.