Invitation and programme:

Organisational Responses to Social-Ecological Complexity

 12 February 2015, UCT Graduate School of Business

You are invited to a discussion hosted by the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) Chair on organisational innovation and intermediation in social-ecological systems. We seek a better theoretical and practically relevant understanding of why and how organisations – including in particular corporations and intermediaries – proactively respond to complex social and environmental problems. Researchers in the ACDI Chair will provide brief overviews of their analyses as a platform for discussion among researchers and practitioners. Kindly RSVP by 31 January 2015 to Lindie Botha at lindie@odysseynet.org.

 

Time

Session focus and presenters

8:30-9:00

Tea and coffee

9:00-9:30

Introduction and overview of key themes: Mark New & Ralph Hamann

9:30-10:45

Organisational culture and sustainability (led by Warren Nilsson, tbc)

A growing number of organisational leaders recognise the need to respond to social-ecological problems, yet challenges remain in embedding sustainability within organisational culture. We focus on how companies address such challenges, which practices are effective, and how their impacts can be measured.

  • Strategies for embedding sustainability into organisational culture: Jess Schulschenk (10)
  • Measuring efficacy for sustainability: Andrea Ferry (10)
  • Responses: Farai Kapfudzaruwa, Vanessa Otto-Mentz (5 each)
  • Discussion (40)

10:45-11:15

Tea and coffee

11:15-12:45

Social-ecological uncertainty and collaboration (led by Oonsie Biggs)

Traditional management theories provide little guidance on how to make sense of and deal with social-ecological dynamics and resulting uncertainty. Our work focuses on these sensemaking processes, collaborative approaches to systemic risks, and intermediation between different forms of knowledge.

  • Attention to and making sense of uncertainty: Kristy Faccer (10)
  • Responding to uncertainty and the role of collaboration: Verena Bitzer (10)
  • Intermediaries between science and practice for climate adaptation: Lindie Botha (10)
  • Responses: Tom McLaughlin, Morakane Pheko, Gina Ziervogel (5 each)
  • Discussion (40)

12:45-14:00

Lunch and launch: The Business of Social and Environmental Innovation (Springer Press and UCT Press)