Navigating institutional complexity in socio-technical transitions

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.

Automated summary

This study highlights the importance of understanding institutional complexity in transitions from one socio-technical regime configuration to another, and the need for formidable strategic agency by actors in the field to navigate competing cultural demands during prolonged phases. Gaining a more balanced perspective of organizational and field-level reconfigurations may provide insights into why transitions succeed in some locations but fail in others.