Paper prepared for the Conference Proceedings of the International System Dynamics Conference in Washington DC USA, July, 2011 How does the Multi-Level Perspective help to enhance a System Dynamics analysis of a specific transition challenge? Silvia Ulli-Beer 1, Stefan Grösser 2 and Alexander Wokaun 1
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[email protected] 1Paul Scherrer Institut, Dynamics of Innovative Systems, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland 2University of St. Gallen, Institute of Management (IfB), Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland 2University of Bern, Interdisciplinary Center for General Ecology (IKAÖ), Schanzeneckstr. 1, 3001 Bern, Switzerland Abstract This paper addresses the challenge of identifying adequate theoretical starting points for problem oriented simulation studies of socio-technical transitions towards near fossil free energy services e.g. for housing and transportation. The identification of adequate starting points for simulation studies is becoming increasingly important for the generalization of simulation results as well as for theory refinement. We found that the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) offers a helpful language for a modelling experiment based in a feedback perspective. This allows the conceptualization of a socio-technical transition challenge departing from an inter-subjective and hence scientific starting point. In addition feedback modelling appears to be a promising mathematical analysis approach that helps to substantiate the MLP. We have seen that the insights of the simulation experiment corroborate basic assumptions of the MLP concerning multi-level alignment processes but also discriminate the decisive determinants and governance mechanisms that explain radical innovation and subsequently the creation of path dependency. 1. Introduction This paper addresses the challenge of identifying adequate theoretical starting points for problem oriented simulation studies of socio-technical transitions towards near fossil free energy services e.g.