Conceptualising institutional complexity in the upscaling of community enterprises: Lessons from renewable energy and carsharing

Community enterprises may play pivotal roles in sustainability transitions but have received limited attention in the transitions literature. This paper proposes a framework for theorising the challenges that community enterprises face as they scale up due to the rising institutional complexity of their organisational model, combining the institutional logics of community, market, and corporation. We conceptualise the upscaling processes of community enterprises by distinguishing between the community volunteerism phase, the niche creation phase and the niche expansion phase. We formulate nine propositions on how institutional complexity arises and on possible mechanisms to manage it in each phase of the upscaling process. Our theoretical framework is supported by empirical research on carsharing and renewable energy initiatives in Western Europe. The paper concludes with some avenues for further research on community enterprises in sustainability transitions.Community enterprises may play pivotal roles in sustainability transitions but have received limited attention in the transitions literature. This paper proposes a framework for theorising the challenges that community enterprises face as they scale up due to the rising institutional complexity of their organisational model, combining the institutional logics of community, market, and corporation. We conceptualise the upscaling processes of community enterprises by distinguishing between the community volunteerism phase, the niche creation phase and the niche expansion phase. We formulate nine propositions on how institutional complexity arises and on possible mechanisms to manage it in each phase of the upscaling process. Our theoretical framework is supported by empirical research on carsharing and renewable energy initiatives in Western Europe. The paper concludes with some avenues for further research on community enterprises in sustainability transitions.Peer reviewe

Social Capital And Mutual Versus Public Benefit: The Case Of Renewable Energy Cooperatives

One potential major role of social economy organizations in sustainability transitions is the creation and mobilization of social capital. Yet, the social economy gathers very distinct organizational models which may be associated with different types and levels of social capital. Accordingly, the objective of this article is to explore whether, and if so how, the type and level of social capital differ between mutual benefit organizations - which essentially seek to meet their members' needs - and public benefit organizations - which seek to enhance the well-being of a broader community or the society as a whole. The study draws on an econometric analysis of different forms of social capital in two renewable energy cooperatives which are located in Flanders but have clearly divergent orientations toward mutual versus public benefit. The results show that, as compared with an orientation toward public benefit, an orientation toward mutual benefit is associated with lower social identification with the cooperative and weaker ties between members. Our study explores the underlying explanatory mechanisms behind these relationships. Its findings contribute to understanding the potential roles played by cooperatives in sustainability transitions

Économie sociale et gouvernance polycentrique de la transition

Les nombreux défis que représente la transition sociale et écologique vers une société post-croissance constituent des problèmes typiques d’action collective. La littérature récente consacrée à ces derniers met en exergue la notion de système « polycentrique » de gouvernance des biens publics, qui implique une multiplicité de centres de décision indépendants partageant un ensemble de règles communes. Un système polycentrique suppose également un degré élevé de participation citoyenne auto-organisée. Les formes organisationnelles adaptées pour encadrer l’action citoyenne ont cependant été jusqu’à présent peu étudiées, à tout le moins dans leur lien avec la transition. Cet article vise à combler ce vide et à explorer les rôles que peuvent jouer les organisations d’économie sociale à cet égard. Nous montrons comment leurs spécificités organisationnelles les rendent aptes à encadrer l’action citoyenne auto-organisée et donc à favoriser la mise en place de systèmes de gouvernance polycentrique de la transition social-écologique. Enfin, nous appliquons cette grille de lecture à deux domaines d’activité : l’énergie et l’alimentation

Transition énergétique et participation citoyenne : le cas des communautés d'énergie

Les citoyens, les associations, les pouvoirs publiques et les entreprises qui veulent investir et s’impliquer dans la transition énergétique peuvent le faire soit individuellement, soit collectivement. A ce titre, les communautés d’énergie sont un levier important de l’action collective. Elles permettent d’impliquer des acteurs qui n’ont pas nécessairement la possibilité ou la volonté de s’impliquer individuellement et, souvent, à une échelle locale. Cette contribution traite des communautés d’énergie. La première section, écrite par Thomas Bauwens, décrit les différents modèles de communautés énergétiques existants. Elle est essentiellement basée sur le chapitre par (Rossetto et al., 2022). La deuxième section, écrite par Remy Balegamire Baraka, décrit le cadre légal en place en Belgique. La troisième section, écrite par Stéphane Monfils, analyse les différents obstacles à la mise en place de communautés d’énergie.Analyse Macro et micro-économique pour l’Optimisation et la Réplicabilité des Communautés d’Energie7. Affordable and clean energy9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure11. Sustainable cities and communities12. Responsible consumption and production13. Climate actio

Challenging dominant sustainability worldviews on the energy transition: Lessons from Indigenous communities in Mexico and a plea for pluriversal technologies

Little research exists on how alternative understandings of sustainability and societal well-being, such as those developed by marginalized Indigenous populations, can enrich and possibly challenge dominant visions of sustainability anchored in Western discourses on sustainable development and ecological modernization. This paper addresses this research gap in the context of the transition towards low-carbon energy sources by addressing the following question: how do Indigenous worldviews contrast with modernist visions of sustainability in the context of the energy transition? To do so, it first builds a conceptual framework contrasting modernist and Indigenous sustainability worldviews. Second, it applies this framework to the case of wind energy developments within the territory of three Zapotec communities located in southern Mexico, with the discussion relying on 103 interviews with key stakeholders, six focus groups and participant observation. Results show that the Zapotec sustainability worldview contrasts strikingly with wind developers’ modernist propositions, which tend to reproduce the region's past colonial arrangements in terms of cultural domination, non-recognition of Indigenous identities and disrespect for local customs. This contrast has led to many conflicts and misunderstandings around wind energy projects. The paper concludes that different conceptualizations of sustainability must be recognized to ensure an inclusive and just energy transition, and advances the concept of “pluriversal technologies” to emphasize the need for technologies that embrace ontological and epistemological diversity by being co-designed, co-produced and co-owned by the inhabitants of the socio-cultural territory in which they are embedded

Institutional relatedness and the emergence of renewable energy cooperatives in German districts

This paper analyses the evolution of renewable energy cooperatives, examining all such cooperatives founded in German districts between 2006 and 2016. The rise of the cooperative form in renewable energy production is a prominent example of the strong involvement of users in market formation. We investigate the effects of ‘institutional relatedness’, arguing that renewable energy cooperatives can leverage the organizational knowledge and the legitimacy gained by cooperatives active in other industries in the same district. Using an organizational ecology approach, we find that the local presence of cooperatives in other industries indeed supported the founding of renewable energy cooperatives