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

66 Chapter 3
Table 3.1 Typology of linkages of production-consumption systems to wider
societal subsystems
1) Economic system
- mode of coordination
- industrial organisation
- mode of provision
- perception of nature of problems – solutions
2) Knowledge infrastructure
- mode of coordination
- mode of organisation
- perception of nature of problems – solutions
3) Policy system
- mode of coordination
- organisation of policy
- mode of communication
- relation to political, societal goals
- perception of nature of problems - solutions
- R&D policy and orientation
4) Society
- mode of coordination
- mode of communication
- perception of nature of problems - solutions
Key processes of systems dynamics
After having introduced the conceptualisation of sociotechnical systems and
its key elements, we focus on the way processes of change are
conceptualised. A first concept we use is that of institutionalisation. With
regard to institutions we follow the definition of Scott (2003: 880):
“Institutions are social structures that have attained a high degree of
resilience. They are composed of cultural-cognitive, normative, and
regulative elements that, together with associated activities and resources,
provide stability and meaning to social life”.
Institutionalisation refers to increasing coordination of activities through
institutions of a regulative, normative and cognitive nature (Zucker, 1988;
Holm, 1995; Scott, 2001). High institutionalisation implies that a certain way