Coordinating Multi-Value Creation in Multi-Actor Contexts
* Article / Conferene presentation: Proliferating circularity efforts. Coordinating multi-value creation in multi-actor contexts. By Niels Faber, Peter A.J. Bootsma and Bartjan Pennink. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on New Business, 2022.
Source: Michelini L., Minà A and Alaimo Di Loro P. (eds), (2022). Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on New Business Models: Sustainable Business Model Challenges: Economic Recovery and Digital Transformation, LUMSA University. ISBN 979-12-210-1188-3
Abstract
"In this paper, we highlight the growing urgency of sustainability transitions in general and circularity transitions in particular, which is hardly taking shape in practice. We explore new pathways to accelerate such transition, focusing on a regional scale. We frame the lack of change as a multifaceted, wicked, problem or organisation. Two specific aspects of increasing complexity are explored: extension of the value set taken into consideration by actors, and expansion of actor types involved. Our value-actor matrix that illustrates this two-dimensional increase of complexity and points to societal coordination as the main problem of circularity transitions. We define four criteria for new coordination models: integration of top-down and bottom-up efforts, scalability from local to global, diplomacy between ideological and sectoral coordination and intuitiveness for rapid proliferation. We use these to analyse five cases, leading to the identification of a common cause of the lack of change. Next, the concept of task democracy is explored, attempting to fix the cause and customise it for a circular economy. The resulting framework takes shape in an opensource manifesto for product councils, on local and regional scales. This research takes large and sometimes speculative steps and the result is largely untested. Yet it shows one pathway to acceleration, which may inspire further research."
Excerpt
Towards a new framework: “Task democracy” for regional circular economy
Peter Bootsma et al. :
In this section, we customise the theory of task democracy for use in circular economy transitions, with fast proliferation in mind. That may well turn out to be overly ambitious, but since urgencies make rapid change important, the fast track is worth exploring.
The circular economy framework we want to construct from the task democracy theory needs to be, following the criteria set above, integrative, scalable, diplomatic and intuitive. We discuss these requirements separately.
Integration of bottom-up and top-down efforts in the task democracy theory can be established, among other factors, during the collective design of transition campaigns. To illustrate this, we present a brainstorm canvas, see Figure 1. The brainstorm of a task democratic campaign design team, consisting of participants from five sectors, starts with an objective (top left corner), shared values (centre) and a territorial domain (top right corner). Then, in three steps the campaign is designed. At first, actors are written down outside the coloured circle. Second, their possible bottom-up campaign contributions are written down inside the circle. Third, arrows are drawn to indicate supportive relations between contributions. Working this way, the team sees synergy emerging, in a process that creates ownership. Following the brainstorm, the campaign design is cleaned up and presented by sector representatives to their constituency, to get feedback and support. Once the design has stabilised the campaign can be kicked off. At Noorden Duurzaam, this process was developed for circularity projects in the first place. We include it in the framework as it is.
Scalability in circular product chain coordination needs special attention, as in a globalised economy, larger geographical scales often include more sections of product chains. For instance: on a local scale, often retail and consumers are found; on a regional scale, logistics and recycling may be added; on a larger scale wholesale and manufacturing can come into play; globally often mineral resources join in. A framework for the coordination of circularity can therefore not require all chain sections to be present or active at all levels. In customising the task democracy model, this means that filling in the five-sector model is not circumstantial, not conceptual.
In a municipality, for instance, a product chain may involve:
(1) local experts,
(2) a local consumer group,
(3) the municipality,
(4) a product family committee of the local business network,
(5) the collective of local education.
We used the term diplomacy to indicate reconciliation of the ideological and sectoral dimensions
in organising transitions. While this is a central matter in the all-encompassing concept of
sustainable development, it is slightly less complex in a circular economy, which has sectoral
division lines by nature, just like task democracy. Customising task democracy for a circular
economy is therefore pretty straightforward. On the other hand, sectoral agreements may, as we
saw, have trouble getting accepted in politics. Here, the added value of task democracy is that it
transforms product chains from business centred phenomena to society-wide phenomena, through
an actor model that guarantees equal influence to science, citizens, administration, businesses and
societal provisions. Solid democracy brings organised product chains on par with parliaments and
governments of their scale, where tax money is converted into transition budgets and where
legislation comes from.
From the ingredients we have seen so far, a new and hopefully intuitive framework for a circular economy can be constructed. The framework is presented below in the shape of a manifesto, a set of statements that may be squeezed into a one-page table for overview and easy access. The set is structured as a narrative and starts with challenges, objectives and values, runs through actors and organisation, and arrives via process and methods at practical aspects of institutionalising."
From the Conclusion
Peter Bootsma et al. :
"In this paper, we highlighted the growing urgency of sustainability transitions in general and circularity transitions in particular. In search of new pathways, we analysed the lack of change as a wicked problem. We presented a value-actor matrix that illustrates a two-dimensional increase in complexity. That made us see societal coordination as the main problem of circularity transitions. We defined four criteria for new coordination models: integration, scalability, diplomacy and intuitiveness. Using these to review several cases brought up a common cause of the lack of change. Next, we investigated a potential coordination model to resolve the issue of societal coordination: the theory of task democracy. We customised it for a circular economy, in the shape of an opensource manifesto.
While this approach produces a thinkable pathway, it has quite a few limitations. We have taken big steps to arrive at a conceptualisation that can be tested and falsified or improved in practice. The intermediate assumptions, like the four criteria and the task democracy theory, are arguably speculative and provide no ground for hard conclusions yet. Still, given the urgency of sustainability, shortcuts to experimenting may help detect and denounce alternative pathways for transition, thus accelerating knowledge development and ultimately creating necessary change.
Further research could fill in on assumptions in this paper. These include lack of change, which needs more academic and public attention; the value-actor matrix; the intermediate conclusion that coordination is the main problem; the four criteria for societal coordination of circularity; the role of small wins and visionary leadership; the task democracy theory and finally the translation into a working model for product chain councils. We invite researchers, policymakers and practitioners to get in touch."