IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/humman/v10y2025i1d10.1007_s41463-024-00201-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eco-Social Narratives for Awakening an Era of Transformative Change

Author

Listed:
  • Sandra Waddock

    (Boston College Carroll School of Management)

Abstract

The central question that this special issue poses is ‘What will allow new systemic approaches to emerge that include all humans and all living beings in the benefits of life, rather than expecting some to suffer for the benefit of others?’ This paper argues that a key starting point for systems change, and the changed awareness or awakening that it brings, is developing new narratives or stories that form the basis for new core cultural mythologies, replacing currently dominant social imaginaries, which describe how people envision and act in their worlds, that are no longer fit for purpose. Today’s polycrisis, a set of intersecting, intractable and civilization threatening crises, means that more people need to work considerably more effectively to catalyze the systemic transformations so desperately needed. Developing and deploying new ecological-social (eco-social) imaginaries based in principles (among others) of relationality, equity, inclusiveness, and flourishing for all beings is an important step to moving transformational change efforts forward; indeed, it is core to the catalysis process needed for transformative change. Doing that, change makers can potentially work to build eco-social imaginaries that enable humans to find ways to live, as many Indigenous peoples have done for millennia, within the constraints of Earth’s capacities. Two recent examples, the Natural Social Contract and the Regenerative Lens, underscore the potential and possibilities for creating powerful, positive, and inspiring new narratives to develop holistic new visions that can potential inform needed new eco-social imaginaries.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra Waddock, 2025. "Eco-Social Narratives for Awakening an Era of Transformative Change," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 11-29, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:humman:v:10:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s41463-024-00201-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s41463-024-00201-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41463-024-00201-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41463-024-00201-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sandra Waddock, 2021. "Wellbeing Economics Narratives for a Sustainable Future," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 151-167, July.
    2. Chris Laszlo & Sandra Waddock & Anil Maheshwari & Giorgia Nigri & Julia Storberg-Walker, 2021. "Quantum Worldviews: How science and spirituality are converging to transform consciousness for meaningful solutions to wicked problems," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 293-311, December.
    3. Patrick Huntjens & René Kemp, 2022. "The Importance of a Natural Social Contract and Co-Evolutionary Governance for Sustainability Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-26, March.
    4. Sandra Waddock, 2024. "Skillsets for Mindful Stewards of System Transformation," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, April.
    5. Kenter, Jasper O. & O'Brien, Liz & Hockley, Neal & Ravenscroft, Neil & Fazey, Ioan & Irvine, Katherine N. & Reed, Mark S. & Christie, Michael & Brady, Emily & Bryce, Rosalind & Church, Andrew & Cooper, 2015. "What are shared and social values of ecosystems?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 86-99.
    6. Sandra Waddock, 2016. "Foundational Memes for a New Narrative About the Role of Business in Society," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 91-105, September.
    7. L. Lovins, 2016. "Needed: A Better Story," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 75-90, September.
    8. Raymond Fisk & Angie Fuessel & Christopher Laszlo & Patrick Struebi & Alessandro Valera & Carey Weiss, 2019. "Systemic Social Innovation: Co-Creating a Future Where Humans and all Life Thrive," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 191-214, December.
    9. Ju Young Lee & Sandra Waddock, 2021. "How Transformation Catalysts Take Catalytic Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Fioramonti, Lorenzo & Coscieme, Luca & Costanza, Robert & Kubiszewski, Ida & Trebeck, Katherine & Wallis, Stewart & Roberts, Debra & Mortensen, Lars F. & Pickett, Kate E. & Wilkinson, Richard & Ragnar, 2022. "Wellbeing economy: An effective paradigm to mainstream post-growth policies?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    11. Kathryn Yusoff & Jennifer Gabrys, 2011. "Climate change and the imagination," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(4), pages 516-534, July.
    12. Steve Kennedy & Martina K. Linnenluecke, 2022. "Circular economy and resilience: A research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 2754-2765, September.
    13. Sandra Waddock, 2020. "Reframing and Transforming Economics around Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Steve Waddell & Sandra Waddock & Simone Martino & Jonny Norton, 2023. "Emerging Economic Operating Infrastructure to Support Wellbeing Economies," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 63-88, April.
    2. Sandra Waddock, 2024. "Skillsets for Mindful Stewards of System Transformation," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Sandra Waddock, 2021. "Wellbeing Economics Narratives for a Sustainable Future," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 151-167, July.
    4. Chris Laszlo & Sandra Waddock & Anil Maheshwari & Giorgia Nigri & Julia Storberg-Walker, 2021. "Quantum Worldviews: How science and spirituality are converging to transform consciousness for meaningful solutions to wicked problems," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 293-311, December.
    5. Sandra Waddock, 2020. "Reframing and Transforming Economics around Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    6. Michael Pirson, 2017. "Better Stories Needed: How Meaningful Narratives can Transform the World," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-6, October.
    7. Hayden, Anders, 2025. "Buzzword or breakthrough beyond growth? The mainstreaming of the Wellbeing Economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    8. Cook, David & Davíðsdóttir, Brynhildur & Malinauskaite, Laura, 2023. "The role of ecosystem services in the doughnut economy – The example of whale ecosystem services in Disko Bay, Greenland," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    9. Michael Pirson, 2020. "A Humanistic Narrative for Responsible Management Learning: An Ontological Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 775-793, April.
    10. Michael Pirson, 2018. "Humanistic Management – Sucks Less and Better for your Health," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, July.
    11. Anders Hayden, 2024. "The wellbeing economy in practice: sustainable and inclusive growth? Or a post-growth breakthrough?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    12. Sandra Waddock, 2018. "Narrative, Memes, and the Prospect of Large Systems Change," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 17-45, July.
    13. Michael Pirson, 2017. "In a Time of Global Upheaval- Humanistic Management Thinking Needed More Than Ever," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 1(2), pages 155-157, April.
    14. Sandra Waddock, 2020. "Will Businesses and Business Schools Meet the Grand Challenges of the Era?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-11, July.
    15. Grillitsch, Markus & Asheim, Björn & Fünfschilling, Lea & Kelmenson, Sophie & Lowe, Nichola & Lundquist, Karl Johan & Mahmoud, Yahia & Martynovich, Mikhail & Mattson, Pauline & Miörner, Johan & Nilsso, 2023. "Rescaling: An Analytical Lense to Study Economic and Industrial Shifts," Papers in Innovation Studies 2023/11, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    16. Kenter, Jasper O. & Bryce, Rosalind & Christie, Michael & Cooper, Nigel & Hockley, Neal & Irvine, Katherine N. & Fazey, Ioan & O’Brien, Liz & Orchard-Webb, Johanne & Ravenscroft, Neil & Raymond, Chris, 2016. "Shared values and deliberative valuation: Future directions," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PB), pages 358-371.
    17. Orchard-Webb, Johanne & Kenter, Jasper O. & Bryce, Ros & Church, Andrew, 2016. "Deliberative Democratic Monetary Valuation to implement the Ecosystem Approach," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PB), pages 308-318.
    18. María Jesús Rosado-García & Renata Kubus & Ramón Argüelles-Bustillo & María Jesús García-García, 2021. "A New European Bauhaus for a Culture of Transversality and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, October.
    19. Schlaile, Michael P. & Bogner, Kristina & Muelder, Laura, 2021. "It’s more than complicated! Using organizational memetics to capture the complexity of organizational culture," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 801-812.
    20. Iversen, Sara V. & Naomi, van der Velden & Convery, Ian & Mansfield, Lois & Holt, Claire D.S., 2022. "Why understanding stakeholder perspectives and emotions is important in upland woodland creation – A case study from Cumbria, UK," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).

    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:spr:humman:v:10:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s41463-024-00201-y. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.