Social Innovation: Thinking about Changing the System

Social Innovation: Thinking about Changing the System

Complex social systems are increasingly faced with dynamic, emergent changes in the environments in which they exist. Some social systems appear to implement changes that allow them to adapt to their environment while others seem to struggle. There is reason to suspect that the application of mental models by multiple individuals across a given social system may influence the detection of change events as well as the nature of a social system’s response (or lack thereof) to changing conditions. It is argued that the analysis of causal variables, the availability of relevant case-based knowledge, and the motivation to pursue social change will influence an individual’s ability to design and promote a social change effort as well as others’ responses to it. Implications for complex social systems, such as organizations, are discussed.