| Abstract | t The diffusion of similar organizational practices across the world has been a
prominent research topic for quite some time. In the literature on sociological new
institutionalism, two basic research perspectives have developed to address the diffusion
and subsequent institutionalization of cultural models and formally organized
practices. The first argues that diffusion happens as a top-down adoption process.
The second describes diffusion and institutionalization as bottom-up emergence. My
stance bridges both perspectives. In this article, I argue that for us to understand
diffusion processes, emergence and adoption need to be integrated within a coherent
theoretical framework, as both of these processes are inseparably interlinked. The
global diffusion of truth commissions is employed as a case study to develop this
framework. Starting with the empirical observation of the global diffusion of truth
commissions, I dissect the case study by asking: How did truth commissions emerge
and become adopted as a globally recognized solution to the problem of dealing with
human rights violations after political transitions? To answer this question, I introduce
three theoretical building blocks—reciprocal typification, narrative embedding, and
fictional consensus. Taken together, these concepts constitute the process of collective
learning, which I present here as a new approach to diffusion.
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