This is a really interesting typology. I've been interested in institutional theory especially within organization studies for some time. Some of my current work in progress attempts to explain institutional stability in terms of individual flourishing. Two questions about this typology come to mind: 1. What does it explain? Can we use this to understand, for example, why individuals seek to change institutions or work to maintain it, or why institutions stabilize? 2. How do different levels of analysis figure into this typology? We could imagine a scenario where flourishing institutions conflict with interests of participants or others affected by them. Similarly, could a flourishing firm or government be in tension with a flourishing family or university? Likewise, individuals are impacted by multiple institutions how does this sustain or obstruct the motivations needed to sustain such institutions? Finally, what assumptions are needed about the individuals affected by these institutions? Could we extend it by incorporating an account of individual flourishing?
Thanks Caleb, brilliant questions. Will need to give these a good think. My sense for now is the typology is mainly descriptive rather than explanatory (and I think I'm trying to unearth assumptions about the state of flourishing from cases of institutional languishing or failure). But I do hope to be able to develop this into something useful, in which case it needs to offer some explanatory purchase. Does the attempt of institutional members to change their institutions imply a lack of flourishing on some dimension? Likely. As to the levels of analysis, that's a great question -- can institutions flourish while their members are not flourishing, or vice-versa? I think the latter is quite possible; my current research on US Catholic priests finds that they report very high levels of personal flourishing on the Harvard Flourishing Index (notwithstanding the limitations of that model) but evaluate the flourishing of their institutions (dioceses etc) as quite low. Would love to think further on all these fronts.
This is a really interesting typology. I've been interested in institutional theory especially within organization studies for some time. Some of my current work in progress attempts to explain institutional stability in terms of individual flourishing. Two questions about this typology come to mind: 1. What does it explain? Can we use this to understand, for example, why individuals seek to change institutions or work to maintain it, or why institutions stabilize? 2. How do different levels of analysis figure into this typology? We could imagine a scenario where flourishing institutions conflict with interests of participants or others affected by them. Similarly, could a flourishing firm or government be in tension with a flourishing family or university? Likewise, individuals are impacted by multiple institutions how does this sustain or obstruct the motivations needed to sustain such institutions? Finally, what assumptions are needed about the individuals affected by these institutions? Could we extend it by incorporating an account of individual flourishing?
Thanks Caleb, brilliant questions. Will need to give these a good think. My sense for now is the typology is mainly descriptive rather than explanatory (and I think I'm trying to unearth assumptions about the state of flourishing from cases of institutional languishing or failure). But I do hope to be able to develop this into something useful, in which case it needs to offer some explanatory purchase. Does the attempt of institutional members to change their institutions imply a lack of flourishing on some dimension? Likely. As to the levels of analysis, that's a great question -- can institutions flourish while their members are not flourishing, or vice-versa? I think the latter is quite possible; my current research on US Catholic priests finds that they report very high levels of personal flourishing on the Harvard Flourishing Index (notwithstanding the limitations of that model) but evaluate the flourishing of their institutions (dioceses etc) as quite low. Would love to think further on all these fronts.