How do mimetic processes influence MBHC firms?
As discussed above, the environment in which MBHC firms must function and survive is a turbulent one characterized by constant change and innovation. In order to overcome the uncertainty created by the turbulence in the environment, Granovetter (1985) argues that personal contacts across firms are often employed. In the managed behavioral health care field, personal networks may be a solid source of knowledge regarding new practices, organizational forms, types of service, or additional changes that may be on the horizon. Galaskiewicz and Wasserman (1989) examine the ways in which network ties allowed organizational decision makers to discern how other organizations in the same field cope with similar environmental conditions and accommodate their behavior to those conditions. The rationale underlying their project was that decision makers are more likely to adopt the strategies of those who they have come to know and trust through personal ties. In the managed behavioral health care f
