Individual Agency in Addressing Grand Challenges - Understanding Multilevel Pressures and Driving Change

This chapter investigates the critical role of individual agency within organizations when addressing grand societal challenges such as poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability. Traditionally viewed as systemic and institutional issues, grand challenges often overshadow the influence and contributions of individuals within organizations. The author argues for a shift toward recognizing individual actors—employees, middle managers, and informal leaders—as central to organizational responses to these complex issues. Through examining the motivations driving individual agency, including personal values, peer influences, and institutional pressures, the chapter highlights various pathways by which individuals can initiate and sustain organizational change. It further discusses formal and informal leadership roles employees assume to advocate for or implement social and environmental practices. The analysis also acknowledges barriers to change, such as resistance rooted in fear, ideological opposition, or structural constraints. By emphasizing a distributed and collective leadership approach, the chapter contributes to a nuanced understanding of how individual agency bridges institutional pressures and localized organizational actions, ultimately facilitating meaningful responses to grand challenges.