IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i19p12192-d925621.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Autonomous Innovations in Rural Communities in Developing Countries III-Leverage Points of Innovations and Enablers of Social-Ecological Transformation

Author

Listed:
  • Hidetomo Tajima

    (Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 221-8529, Japan
    Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Shion Takemura

    (Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Juri Hori

    (Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, Otsu 520-0022, Japan)

  • Mitsutaku Makino

    (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8564, Japan)

  • Tetsu Sato

    (SDGs Promotion Office, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan)

Abstract

To address the complex and difficult challenges that are occurring in complex social-ecological systems, a transformation toward sustainable futures is required. Understanding the characteristics and functions of leverage points (LPs), which bring about significant changes in complex systems, will greatly contribute to the various practices toward achieving sustainable futures. We conducted a detailed analysis of 15 cases of autonomous innovations emerging among vulnerable sectors in six countries to contribute to understanding the mechanisms of transformation of social-ecological systems by identifying the characteristics and functions of LPs. We found that three types of LPs with different characteristics play their roles in a multi-layered and interrelated manner in the emergence processes of autonomous innovations. These LPs contributed to the improvement of various aspects of well-being and facilitated the transformation of the social-ecological systems by enhancing the five previously proposed enabler categories. The multi-layered and interrelated functioning of LPs promotes the enhancement of various aspects of human well-being and strengthens the enabler categories. These were found to be important mechanisms for the transformation of social-ecological systems. Based on these results, we derive nine guiding principles for the conditions and mechanisms of transformation. These results indicate that a deeper study of autonomous innovation through an LP lens could make a significant contribution to solving or mitigating the wicked problems faced by humanity.

Suggested Citation

  • Hidetomo Tajima & Shion Takemura & Juri Hori & Mitsutaku Makino & Tetsu Sato, 2022. "Autonomous Innovations in Rural Communities in Developing Countries III-Leverage Points of Innovations and Enablers of Social-Ecological Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-27, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12192-:d:925621
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12192/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12192/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joanna Chataway & Rebecca Hanlin & Raphael Kaplinsky, 2014. "Inclusive innovation: an architecture for policy development," Innovation and Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 33-54, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shion Takemura & Hidetomo Tajima & Juri Hori & Mitsutaku Makino & John Banana Matewere & Dorothea Agnes Rampisela & Tetsu Sato, 2022. "Autonomous Innovations in Rural Communities of Developing Countries II—Causal Network and Leverage Point Analyses of Transformations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hidetomo Tajima & Tetsu Sato & Shion Takemura & Juri Hori & Mitsutaku Makino & Dorothea Agnes Rampisela & Motoko Shimagami & John Banana Matewere & Brighten Ndawala, 2022. "Autonomous Innovations in the Rural Communities of Developing Countries I—A Narrative Analysis of Innovations and Synergies for Integrated Natural Resource Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Robra, Ben & Pazaitis, Alex & Giotitsas, Chris & Pansera, Mario, 2023. "From creative destruction to convivial innovation - A post-growth perspective," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    3. Rafael A. Araque-Padilla & Maria Jose Montero-Simo, 2022. "The Dynamics behind the Likelihood of Adopting Inclusive Agrarian Innovations in Disadvantaged Central American Communities," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Iizuka, Michiko & Hane, Gerald, 2021. "Transformation towards sustainable development goals: Role of innovation ecosystems for inclusive, disruptive advances in five Asian case studies," MERIT Working Papers 2021-001, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    5. Joerg Mayer, 2017. "How Could the South Respond to Secular Stagnation in the North?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 314-335, February.
    6. André Leliveld & Peter Knorringa, 2018. "Frugal Innovation and Development Research," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(1), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Tan, Wee-Liang & Zuckermann, Ghil'ad, 2021. "External impetus, co-production and grassroots innovations: The case of an innovation involving a language," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    8. Lema, Rasmus & Hanlin, Rebecca & Hansen, Ulrich Elmer & Nzila, Charles, 2018. "Renewable electrification and local capability formation: Linkages and interactive learning," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 326-339.
    9. Saskia Vossenberg, 2018. "Frugal Innovation Through a Gender Lens: Towards an Analytical Framework," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(1), pages 34-48, January.
    10. Kivimaa, Paula & Rogge, Karoline S., 2022. "Interplay of policy experimentation and institutional change in sustainability transitions: The case of mobility as a service in Finland," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    11. Yunhui Zhao & Zhimin Wang & Taiwen Feng & Ting Kong & Qiansong Zhang, 2022. "Organizational unlearning and inclusive innovation: The moderating role of green control ambidexterity," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 539-555, August.
    12. Felix Ouko Opola & Laurens Klerkx & Cees Leeuwis & Catherine Kilelu, 0. "The Hybridity of Inclusive Innovation Narratives Between Theory and Practice: A Framing Analysis," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    13. Marshall, Fiona & Dolley, Jonathan, 2019. "Transformative innovation in peri-urban Asia," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 983-992.
    14. Tommaso Ciarli & Maria Savona & Jodie Thorpe & Seife Ayele, 2018. "Innovation for Inclusive Structural Change. A Framework and Research Agenda," SPRU Working Paper Series 2018-04, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    15. Pedro Marques & Kevin Morgan & Ranald Richardson, 2018. "Social innovation in question: The theoretical and practical implications of a contested concept," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(3), pages 496-512, May.
    16. Hoffecker, Elizabeth, 2021. "Understanding inclusive innovation processes in agricultural systems: A middle-range conceptual model," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    17. Brida, Juan Gabriel & Ladós, Valentina & Sicilia, Gabriela, 2021. "Eficiencia innovadora en el sector servicios: el caso de Uruguay. || Innovative efficiency in the service sector: the case of Uruguay," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 31(1), pages 240-258, June.
    18. Christian Omobhude & Shih-Hsin Chen, 2019. "Social Innovation for Sustainability: The Case of Oil Producing Communities in the Niger Delta region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, November.
    19. Pansera, Mario & Owen, Richard, 2018. "Framing inclusive innovation within the discourse of development: Insights from case studies in India," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 23-34.
    20. Jie Wu & Steven Si, 2018. "Poverty reduction through entrepreneurship: incentives, social networks, and sustainability," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(4), pages 243-259, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12192-:d:925621. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.