Systems Change: Spatial, Temporal, and other Impact Mechanisms for a Sustainable Future

Abstract

The world is changing fast. Technology, healthcare, education, climate, business – there is hardly anything in life that is not changing. Some changes are desirable, such as Artificial Intelligence or Shared Economy, while others create fear and anxiety, such as extreme weather periods and the massive loss of biodiversity. It is clear that we can no longer live in the same way we have been living so far. The problems we currently face have been stubbornly resistant to solutions. One promising approach forward for augmenting our solution-generation capacity is the idea of systems change. Over the last few years, systems change has gained momentum. Especially the social sector, including social entrepreneurs and foundations, has embraced a systems lens for positive impact. However, enabling systems change is easier said than done. Systems change is about addressing the root causes of social problems, which are often intractable and embedded in networks of cause and effect. System change enablers cannot just impose a design pattern on a complex adaptive system and expect the results that they were hoping for. To enable systems change time, impact, and society need to be considered together. Our proposed symposium moves us toward a better understanding of the interplay among these elements and their potential implications for systems change and today’s grand challenges. Systems Change and Organizational Studies: Rejuvenating the Systems Perspective Presenter: Sylvia Grewatsch; Brock U. Presenter: Steven Kennedy; Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus U. Parsing ‘Systems Change’ by Concept and Impact on Actor Type: Evidence from Global Funders Presenter: Paulo Savaget; Durham U. Business School Presenter: Marc Ventresca; U. of Oxford Systems Change: Making Time Visible in Material Practices Presenter: Garima Sharma; Georgia State U. Presenter: Sylvia Grewatsch; Brock U. Transforming from Within or Building an Alternative? The Role of Intermediaries in Systems Change Presenter: Marya Besharov; Oxford U., Saïd Business School