Innovation and institutional change: the transition to a sustainable ...

62 Chapter 3
perceptions and solution paths. There are similarities with the concept of
belief systems developed by Sabatier, but here the roots of the belief system
is strongly linked to developed routines and accumulated experiences and to
the dominant design of the technological system, and less to norms and
values that form the deep core beliefs in Sabatier advocacy coalition
framework (Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith, 1993). Here the belief systems
involve ideas about configurations that are expected to work, about the
directions knowledge has to develop, and about societal acceptable and
market viable practices. Our analysis will focus on the way routines and
belief systems have developed in the electricity system, and through what
mechanisms they change. In the more specific case studies the focus is on
alternative practices that were developed within the electricity system. The
aim is to analyse to what extent the emergence of these alternative practices
was related to changing routines and belief systems, and to explain how
these changing routines and belief systems were brought forth. There the
focus is also on the role of (changing) networks, new technologies, changing
linkages and institutions in that process.
In networks, different actors meet, interact and collaborate in order to
safeguard interests, to realise goals and objectives which can not be achieved
independently, and to exchange information, knowledge and resources. Thus
networks are necessary to enable, facilitate, and align activities of actors and
also function as platforms for solving problems a system faces, for
establishing the principles under which technologies function (e.g.
standards), for guiding directions of R&D (by shaping beliefs and
expectations on the promise of technologies), and for the creation of new
technological paths. Our interest lies mainly in understanding the role of the
nature of networks for the type of practices that are developed. Networks
may be conducive for initiating systems change as they are able to provide
adaptability (e.g. continuous rethinking of goals, strategies and
implementation), diversity as a learning potential (as the presence of
multiple perspectives increases the likelihood of higher order learning to
occur), and enable the exchange of tacit knowledge. One focus is on the
organizational mode of networks and its relation to the type of innovation
that is likely to be generated. Loose coupling within networks promotes
radical innovation through its diversity and adaptability, but is less
conducive for the exchange of tacit knowledge necessary to realize its
learning potential while tight coupling is more conducive for the exchange of
tacit knowledge but favours incrementalism (Boons and Berends, 2001).
Another aspect is the composition of the network, with homogeneous
networks (actors with similar interests, backgrounds) may be more goaloriented,
while heterogeneous networks may provide more ideas for