My research circles around two key themes: 

DIFFUSION

I study the diffusion of ideas and institutions, with a focus on how these processes shape and are shaped by local contexts. 

My work is informed by following theories/questions: 

• How do global cultural and institutional norms shape and influence local practices (World Polity Theory)? 

• What dynamics of global power relations drive cultural diffusion, and how can these be understood through the lens of Global Field Theory? 

• What mechanisms facilitate or hinder the diffusion of ideas/innovations across regions, and what insights can be drawn from diffusion literature?

Currently, I am working on two study related to diffusion: 1) the diffusion of smart classrooms in Bihar, India; 2) the global diffusion of school choice. The smart classroom diffusion study provides a diffusion analysis of technological adoption in educational institutions, examining how modern innovations coexist with and sometimes reinforce traditional practices. Through this work, I am trying to understand the complexities of technological diffusion in diverse cultural settings, offering insights into the broader patterns of cultural similarity and difference that emerge from global diffusion processes.

ORGANIZATIONS 

I approach organizations not as neutral arenas, but as valuation systems that sort, elevate, or terminate ideas based on behavioral and institutional mechanisms. My work is deeply anchored in New Institutionalism and Institutional Logics, exploring how external pressures are translated into internal decisions and routines. 

My work is informed by following theories and questions: 

• How do institutional logics and organizational fields shape the adoption of new practices (drawing on the foundational work of Paul DiMaggio)? 

• How do organizational gatekeepers forecast the value of ideas (understanding the micro-foundations of organizational behavior)? 

By bridging the macro-level patterns of global diffusion with the micro-level mechanisms of behavioral decision-making, I aim to specifcy when reliance on symbolic cues becomes distortionary and how organizations can better design selection processes to improve the trajectory of worthy ideas.