How do decentralized systems deal with innovation? In particular, how do they aggregate the myriad experiences of their component parts, facilitate diffusion of information, and encourage investments in innovation? This is a classic problem in the study of human institutions. It is also one of the biggest challenges that exists in the governance of decentralized systems: How do institutions shape individual behavior around solving problems and sharing information in a fashion that is reasonably com patible with collective well being? We use a particular decentralized institution (the U.S. House of Representatives), wrestling with a novel problem (how to utilize the Internet), to explore the implications of three archetypical principles for organizing collective problem solving: market, network, and hierarchy.Konstanzer Online-Publikations-System (KOPS) URL: http://nbn-resolving. de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:352-0-357147
One of the least understood aspects of the world-wide "greening of markets" is the emergence of local "ethical marketplaces" and the subset of alternative business models described as "ethical businesses." But previous research has demonstrated the ability of local politicians to encourage their regions toward more ethical marketplaces. This paper explores the impact radical centrist third party representation has on the emergence of ethical businesses across Great Britain. To understand this relationship, we utilize a novel data set of organizations with membership in Ethical Junction, the United Kingdom's largest network for ethical businesses. We use a zero-inflated Poisson regression to model the connection, and find a meaningful relationship, between thirdparty political representation on British local councils and the presence of ethical businesses within local authorities. This presents an example of the way in which radical political change may be part of a wider social movement toward greening markets.
This article examines relationships between a new wave of radical green activism and an
increase in greening businesses in Britain. We examine the spread of the movement through
the formation of businesses implementing more environmentally sustainable practices. Our
empirical data, combined with Office for National Statistics data, are drawn from both
the supply and the demand side of the economy. Our analysis tests key individual-level
determinants (education, energy conscientiousness, localism) and area-level determinants
(party politics, population density). Our findings indicate the main factors in determining
the growth of the ethical marketplace. We draw conclusions about relationships between
environmental social movements and SME business sectors. Our results have implications
for research on ethical business development and consumerism and for literature on social
movements and political geography.
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