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Complexity and Transition Management
Author(s) -
Rotmans Jan,
Loorbach Derk
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2009.00116.x
Subject(s) - complex adaptive system , transition management (governance) , coevolution , sustainability , computer science , complexity management , niche , complex system , transition (genetics) , process management , management science , diversity (politics) , macro , process (computing) , risk analysis (engineering) , ecology , business , economics , sociology , artificial intelligence , marketing , biology , anthropology , programming language , operating system , biochemistry , gene
Summary This article presents a framework, transition management, for managing complex societal systems. The principal contribution of this article is to articulate the relationship between transition management and complex systems theory. A better understanding of the dynamics of complex, adaptive systems provides insight into the opportunities, limitations, and conditions under which it is possible to influence such systems. Transition management is based on key notions of complex systems theory, such as variation and selection, emergence, coevolution, and self‐organization. It involves a cyclical process of phases at various scale levels: stimulating niche development at the micro level, finding new attractors at the macro level by developing a sustainability vision, creating diversity by setting out experiments, and selecting successful experiments that can be scaled up.