Navigating institutional complexity in socio-technical transitions
(2021) In Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 40. p.367-381- Abstract
Transitions from one socio-technical regime configuration to another entail long phases of institutional complexity, where two or more field logics co-exist in a sector and induce incompatibilities and frictions. This paper presents a dynamic phase model, which characterizes the types of institutional complexity that may build up and settle across various phases of a transition, illustrated with a case study from the diffusion of onsite water reuse in San Francisco. Results from semi-structured expert interviews and a focus group demonstrate that different forms of institutional complexity may follow each other in a transition trajectory and that formidable strategic agency is needed by the actors in a field in navigating prolonged... (More)
Transitions from one socio-technical regime configuration to another entail long phases of institutional complexity, where two or more field logics co-exist in a sector and induce incompatibilities and frictions. This paper presents a dynamic phase model, which characterizes the types of institutional complexity that may build up and settle across various phases of a transition, illustrated with a case study from the diffusion of onsite water reuse in San Francisco. Results from semi-structured expert interviews and a focus group demonstrate that different forms of institutional complexity may follow each other in a transition trajectory and that formidable strategic agency is needed by the actors in a field in navigating prolonged phases of competing cultural demands. Gaining a more balanced perspective of both organizational and field-level reconfigurations may help better explain why transitions succeed in some places and fail in others.
(Less)
- author
- Hacker, Miriam E. and Binz, Christian LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-09-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Alternative water sources, Institutional complexity, Onsite water reuse, Transitions
- in
- Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
- volume
- 40
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85115322054
- ISSN
- 2210-4224
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.eist.2021.09.003
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 527d88a9-43f0-46d1-b21e-0910f8171d1e
- date added to LUP
- 2021-10-01 15:00:41
- date last changed
- 2024-01-20 13:07:37
@article{527d88a9-43f0-46d1-b21e-0910f8171d1e,
abstract = {{<p>Transitions from one socio-technical regime configuration to another entail long phases of institutional complexity, where two or more field logics co-exist in a sector and induce incompatibilities and frictions. This paper presents a dynamic phase model, which characterizes the types of institutional complexity that may build up and settle across various phases of a transition, illustrated with a case study from the diffusion of onsite water reuse in San Francisco. Results from semi-structured expert interviews and a focus group demonstrate that different forms of institutional complexity may follow each other in a transition trajectory and that formidable strategic agency is needed by the actors in a field in navigating prolonged phases of competing cultural demands. Gaining a more balanced perspective of both organizational and field-level reconfigurations may help better explain why transitions succeed in some places and fail in others.</p>}},
author = {{Hacker, Miriam E. and Binz, Christian}},
issn = {{2210-4224}},
keywords = {{Alternative water sources; Institutional complexity; Onsite water reuse; Transitions}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
pages = {{367--381}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions}},
title = {{Navigating institutional complexity in socio-technical transitions}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.09.003}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.eist.2021.09.003}},
volume = {{40}},
year = {{2021}},
}