The organizational literature privileges objective performance indicators often selected by researchers. There is scarce research focusing on legitimacy-challenged hybrid and microorganizations and on perceived success under exigent conditions. To address this scarcity, this study, conducted among complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) microorganizations, explores success as a subjective measure originating from managers’ perceptions. For the purpose, it integrates cognitive mapping and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) – a methodological contribution to construct a subjective-success framework that can be helpful for contested hybrid microorganizations. Seven factos emerged, of which human capital is recognized as critical, while external factors are considered unimportant.

This work was funded by National Funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia under the projects: SFRH/BD/75698/2011, UID/GES/00315/2013, UID/GES/00315/2019, UID/ECO/00124/2013 and by POR Lisboa under the project LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007722.

Micro-organisations,Subjective perceived success,Hybrid organisations,Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM),Cognitive mapping,Multiple criteria DecisionaAnalysis (MCDA)

• Economics and Business - Social Sciences