Discussion Outline

Multifaceted Institutional
I. Change
III. The Case
III.I The rules: The WFD
I.I Key Terms & Research Question IIII.II The actors
I .II Multifaceted institutional change III. IV The method: Action Research
III.V Practices of the past and Post
Evaluation of Action Research
Conceptualizing
II. Institutional Change
IV. Conclusions
II.I Theories of Institutional Change IV.I Lessons of the case
II.II Designed based theories of institutional IV.II Lessons of implementation of AR in the
Change Intended Multifaceted Institutional CHange
II.III Evolutionary Theories of evolutional
Change
II.VI Theories of equilibrium, view of institutions A WATER DRIVE

II.V Intended Multifaceted Institutional Change

 Why multifaceted institutional
change is neccesary in
environmental topics ?
CHALLENGES
The increasing internationalization Community management in Public
1 and complexity of water resource 3 Goods
management

2 The rising number of actors and 4 Environmental Protection

institutions involved
 MULTIFACETED INSTITUTION
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE DEFINITION

Institutions regularize human,

behavioral interdependencies by
structuring humans interactions.
(Zikos & Thiel, 2013, p.359)

The institutional change explains the

change of institutions considered as
rules and expectations that govern
The creation of new institutions human interactions and paths of
with the aim of changing de development in society.
(Coccia, 2018)
facto institutions regularizing
actors interaction
 Conceptualizing Institutional Change
Rational Choice
Orientation Cognitive Dimensions

Endogenous
Exogenous
Distributional Theories: Exogenous Endogenous Evolutionary Theorys:
Predictable

Unpredictable
Outcomes

role role -> Choices based on

&
-> Choices based on outcomes
Economic Theory & Pareto Habituation
efficient choices: -> Social organizational
-> Choices based on and individual-based
transaction and coordinating learning.
costs
Unpredictable
Outcomes

Legitimation of Rules: Changes in exogenous institutions may affect

-> Choices based on role expectations, internalized habits of actors, as well as changes
identities, normative values in habits "up-scale" to changes in institutions.
 Rational Choices based Theories

Exogenous &
Functional

Predictable
Economic Theory

Power Distributional Theories

Interpretation of a process
Learning and the perception about the
rules

Schimd (2009)
 The continuous cycles of Action Research
"Action research is a reflective research methodology that allows the researcher to understand an institutional
change by exposing himself to a certain situation under study. The analytic task is to study action-related
constructs, by "unpacking taken for granted views and detecting invisible but oppressive structures."
(Reason & Bradbury , 2001)

Diagnosing
Researchers rely on a theory
Traditional
that informs institutional
Research Method
Evaluating Action design
Planning Action
Interpretation of a process
Action Reserach
Infinite Cycle and of the resulting change

Taking Action
 Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) for the Water Framework
Directive (WFD)

KEY AIMS OF WFD MANAGEMENT BY

2000
Expanding the scope of water RIVER BASIN
The European parliament protection.
established a framework for The natural geographical and
Achieving "good status" for all
Community Action in the hydrological unit - instead of
waters by a set deadline water
field of Water Policy. according to administrative or
management based on river basins.
WFD was finally adopted. political boundaries.
Getting the prices right
Getting the citizen involved more
closely
Streamlining legislation
 CHANGING URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT
Describing the problem: Inadequate water quantity and quality during summer period, the
pollution of the underground water reservoirs from uncontrolled disposal and agricultural
wastes.
CIS WFD
Guidence Documents

gical European network: PRB

E colo
l an d Test the guidelines
Socia em
Sy st
Pinios River Basin
Identify tecnical and management problems

Local and Regional

Authorities

tutions
g Insti Local stakeholders &
gulatin
Re Researchers

Dysfunctional Transactions
Highly hierarchical and centralized
administrative structure
 CHANGING URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT IN VOLOS

Environmental System: Pinios River

14 key Organizations
Basin

1 The EU Water Framework Directive:

4

2 Municipality of Volos

2 Universities Research: Authority

3
with expertise

4 4 NGO´s with weak power

Market: 4 Private companies with

5 slow power
 0 The network didn´t know
OPENING DIALOG anything about WFD
1

0 IDENTIFY Subjective realities Water

2 PEOPLES MOTIVES Protection

The Stages
0 STRENGTHEN Personal Meetings to enhance
of Research RELATIONS communication
3

0 IDENTIFY
ONGOING Bottom-up participatory process
4 CHANGES

0 PLANNING AND
Negotiation, bargaining, and
communication are key to
5 CONSENSUS resolve disputes
 CONCLUSSIONS REGARDING THE CASE

There is a huge gap between an imposed new institutional

framework and the change the actions-subject to institutions
Action Research may methodology may facilitate the process
of institutional change and the emergence of new institutions.
Changes in practices, fostering participation, empowering
local stakeholders contribute to the overall targets of WFD
The WFD´s requirements are extremely weak
 CONCLUSSIONS REGARDING INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

Processes such as learning, socialization, diffusion,

regeneration, deliberative design, and competitive selection
are imperfect. An improved understanding of these
imperfections may provide a key to a better understanding of
rules dynamics.
Institutional change following institutional design can
emerge as an outcome of changes of perceptions about roles,
identities, normative values, cognitive frames and rules
Outcomes are not predictable
References:

Ostrom, E. A, A General Framework for Analyzing Sustainability of Social-Ecological Systems, 2009

Theesfeld, I. A Common Pool Resource in Transition: Determinants of Institutional Change for

Bulgaria’s Postsocialist Irrigation Sector; Shaker: Aachen, Germany, 2005.

Coccia M. 2018. Motivations of scientific research in society, Journal of Social and Administrative Sciences -
J. Adm. Soc. Sci. - JSAS, vol. 5, n.

Zikos, Dimitrios & Thiel, Andreas. (2013). Action Research's Potential to Foster Institutional Change for Urban
Water Management. Water. 5. 356-378. 10.3390/w5020356.

Schmid, A.A. Conflict and Cooperation: Institutional and Behavioural Economics; Blackwell:
Malden, MA, USA, 2004.

Lin, J.Y. An economic theory of institutional change: Induced and imposed change. Cato J. 1989,
9, 1–33.