Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/251561 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Citation: 
[Journal:] Kybernetes [ISSN:] 0368-492X [Volume:] 51 [Issue:] 5 [Publisher:] Emerald [Place:] Bingley [Year:] 2022 [Pages:] 1738-1758
Publisher: 
Emerald, Bingley
Abstract: 
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding of adaptive governance, which is advocated for as a manner to deal with dramatic changes in society and/or environment. To re-think the possible contributions of organizations and organization theory, to adaptive governance. Design/methodology/approach: Based on social systems theory this study makes a distinction between "governance organizations" and "governance communities." Organizations are conceptualized as the decision machines which organize and (co-)steer governance. Communities are seen as the social environments against which the governance system orients its operations. This study considers the adaptive mechanisms of organizations and reflect on the roles of organizations to enhance adaptive governance in communities and societies. Findings: Diverse types of organizations can link or couple in different ways to communities in their social environment. Such links can enhance the coordinative capacity of the governance system and can also spur innovation to enable adaptation. Yet, linking with communities can also slow down responses to change and complexify the processes of deliberation in governance. Not all adaptive mechanisms available to organizations can be used in communicating with communities or can be institutionalized, but the continuous innovation in the field of organizations can inspire continuous testing of small-scale adaptive mechanisms at higher levels. Society can thus enhance its adaptive capacity by managing the role of organizations. Originality/value: The harnessing of insights in organization theory and systems theory for improving understanding of adaptive governance. The finding that both experiment and coordination at societal level are needed, toward adaptive governance, and that organizations can contribute to both.
Subjects: 
public policy
qualitative research
complex adaptive systems
self-organization
adaptive governance
adaptation
organization
differentiation
coordination
experiment
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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