This article examines the institutional setting implemented by a fragmented industry to face a technologically and politically challenging environment. It does so through the lens of recent developments in new institutional economics building on the Williamsonian contributions about hybrid organizations and the Northian contributions about institutional layers. The resulting analytical framework throws light on the institutional design implemented by the Russian manufacturers of large diameter pipes, a strategic segment of the natural gas supply chain. Examination of this arrangement shows the key role of intermediary institutions, coined ‘meso-institutions,’ in coordinating parties that nevertheless remain competitors. However, this ‘economizing strategy,’ backed by the central government, collides with the ‘anti-monopoly’ strategy that the same government intends to implement. Based on interviews and private and public data and documents, this narrative shows the impact of technology on organizational choices and the theoretical gains to be expected from differentiating institutional layers when it comes to understanding the many challenges an industry faces.

本文考察了一个分散的行业所实施的制度设置，以应对技术和政治上具有挑战性的环境。它是通过新制度经济学的最新发展来实现的，这些发展建立在威廉姆森关于混合组织的贡献和诺斯关于制度层的贡献的基础上。由此产生的分析框架揭示了俄罗斯大直径管道制造商实施的制度设计，这是天然气供应链的一个战略部分。对这种安排的考察表明，中介机构（被称为“中间机构”）在协调仍然是竞争对手的各方方面发挥了关键作用。然而，这种由中央政府支持的“节约战略”，与同一政府打算实施的“反垄断”战略相冲突。基于访谈以及私人和公共数据和文件，这种叙述显示了技术对组织选择的影响，以及在理解行业面临的许多挑战时，区分制度层级所期望的理论收益。