Abstract
Adopting a place-based approach to categorization, we explore how and why institutional actors in the US and the UK have categorized e-cigarettes differently, namely as tobacco products in the US and as non-tobacco consumer products in the UK. Our inquiry identified the historical contingencies generating two different perspectives informing these differential categorizations—precautionary in the US and harm-reduction in the UK. Embedded in these two perspectives are different future imaginaries to address the harm from cigarettes and e-cigarettes to the different population groups at risk (i.e. smokers versus youth and non-smokers). Data also show institutional actors across the two countries offering justifications for or against e-cigarettes by deploying facts from different scientific research. We theorize these findings and conclude the article by discussing the importance of adopting a place-based approach to categorization.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 23-51 |
Number of pages | 29 |
Journal | Strategic Organization |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2023 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Business and International Management
- Education
- Industrial relations
- Strategy and Management