Governance in the Postmodern Era:
Implications of an Ecological Worldview
Peter J. Robertson
Associate Professor
School of Policy, Planning, and Development
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Starting premise:
Systems of governance throughout the world
are in a period of significant transformation
- reinventing government
- new public management
This reflects a societal transition from the
modern era to the postmodern era
The Modern Era
Mechanistic worldview oriented towards:
- reductionism
- prediction and control
- competitive dynamics
Foundations of a new worldview:
- quantum physics
- cognition and consciousness
- systems theory
- complexity sciences
- humanistic ideology
- open systems thinking
- social constructivism
- critical theory
The Postmodern Era
Ecological worldview oriented towards:
- interconnectedness
- self-organizing capacity
- coevolutionary dynamics
Summary of the transition:
1) from a focus on the properties of the separate parts
comprising any system to an emphasis on the holistic pattern
of relationships among those parts that define and maintain
the system
2) from a focus on prediction and control using centralized
knowledge to maintain system stability to an emphasis on the
intrinsic capacity to generate adaptive responses through selforganizing processes
3) from a focus on competitive dynamics that influence
system well-being and the evolution of life to an emphasis on
co-evolutionary dynamics through which diverse, complex
interactions maintain system health and well-being
Ecological Governance
Implications in four key areas:
- purpose
- design
- process
- relationships
Purpose
The purpose of every “cell” is to add value to
the larger system(s) of which it is a part
- should strive to avoid doing unnecessary harm
Operationalized in terms of mission
- operating principles serve as parameters
guiding system activity
Effectiveness defined and assessed broadly
- responsiveness to multiple stakeholders required
Design
Primary form is a dynamic network, a web of
relationships among interacting cells
- diverse roles integrated into a coherent unity
Patterns of interaction give rise to capacity
for self-organizing and self-managing
- continual adjustment to new contingencies
Collaborative dynamics facilitate adaptability
- innovation requires experimentation and novelty
Process
Decision-making is democratic, with
participation by relevant stakeholders
- consensus used to determine collective interests
Cells are responsible for their performance as
well as the long-term success of the system
- authority is fluid, expertise-based, task-bound
Coordination through mutual adaptation
- leadership and management enable effectiveness
through stewardship and facilitation
Relationships
Positive relationships build social capital that
contributes to system performance
- based on mutually beneficial reciprocity
Value alignment between a system and its
cells enhances motivation and commitment
- commitment to cell development is required
Importance of evaluation and feedback
- input from interdependent others contributes to
ability to learn and adaptively co-evolve
Summary of the argument:
1) governance systems throughout much of global
society are in a period of transition
2) philosophical and scientific foundations exist for a
shift from a modern mechanistic to a postmodern
ecological worldview
3) an ecological perspective yields useful insights
regarding important qualities of effective systems
4) many reforms already implemented are compatible
with the principles of ecological governance
Concluding premise:
The organization “species” is evolving
- a new ecological form is replacing the
mechanistic model reflected in the bureaucratic
hierarchies that have dominated the modern era
Evolution driven by environmental forces
- demographic trends increasing complexity
- constraints inherent to the natural world
- the “global brain” in the Information Age
Final observation:
The possibility of discontinuous change
suggests that organizations of the future are
more likely to be quite different from, rather
than mostly similar to, the organizations of
today
- “far-from-equilibrium” conditions lead to a
bifurcation point in many natural systems
- “punctuated equilibrium” pattern of change
reflects spontaneous systemic reorientation