Understanding cross-sectoral innovations for urban water management through the lens of organizational ambidexterity

IF 1.6 3区环境科学与生态学 Q3 WATER RESOURCES

Urban Water Journal Pub Date : 2023-09-06 DOI:10.1080/1573062X.2023.2251973

E. Nieuwenhuis, Hans de Bruijn, E. Cuppen, J. Langeveld

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Urban water systems worldwide need integrated, cross-sectoral innovations to anticipate developments like climate change and population growth. Development and implementation of such innovations is challenging due to the operational and sectoral mindset of organizations in which these innovations take place. This study uses the concept of ambidexterity to get a better understanding of how organizations responsible for urban water management deal with the tension between operation and the need for innovation. We focused on Amsterdam and Rotterdam, two Dutch cities that are global frontrunners in urban water management. Combining a desk study with 25 semi-structured interviews, we found four mechanisms to manage innovation and operation tensions: network, hierarchical, process and human-resource mechnanisms. Different from the literature on ambidexterity, our empirical findings show that the connection between operation and innovation is dominated by networks rather than by executives. Hierarchical mechanisms could be used to complement this, catalyzing innovation or formalizing it.

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通过组织双重性的视角理解城市水管理的跨部门创新

世界各地的城市供水系统需要综合的、跨部门的创新来预测气候变化和人口增长等发展趋势。这种创新的发展和实施是具有挑战性的，因为这些创新发生在组织的操作和部门思维方式上。本研究使用二元性的概念来更好地理解负责城市水管理的组织如何处理运营与创新需求之间的紧张关系。我们关注的是阿姆斯特丹和鹿特丹，这两个荷兰城市在城市水资源管理方面处于全球领先地位。结合桌面研究和25个半结构化访谈，我们发现了管理创新和运营紧张的四种机制:网络机制、层级机制、流程机制和人力资源机制。与双元性文献不同的是，我们的实证结果表明，运营与创新之间的联系是由网络主导的，而不是由高管主导的。等级机制可以用来补充这一点，促进创新或使其正式化。

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来源期刊

Urban Water Journal WATER RESOURCES-

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

11.10%

发文量

101

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Urban Water Journal provides a forum for the research and professional communities dealing with water systems in the urban environment, directly contributing to the furtherance of sustainable development. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of interrelationships and interactions between the individual water systems, urban water bodies and the wider environment. The Journal encourages the adoption of an integrated approach, and system''s thinking to solve the numerous problems associated with sustainable urban water management. Urban Water Journal focuses on the water-related infrastructure in the city: namely potable water supply, treatment and distribution; wastewater collection, treatment and management, and environmental return; storm drainage and urban flood management. Specific topics of interest include: network design, optimisation, management, operation and rehabilitation; novel treatment processes for water and wastewater, resource recovery, treatment plant design and optimisation as well as treatment plants as part of the integrated urban water system; demand management and water efficiency, water recycling and source control; stormwater management, urban flood risk quantification and management; monitoring, utilisation and management of urban water bodies including groundwater; water-sensitive planning and design (including analysis of interactions of the urban water cycle with city planning and green infrastructure); resilience of the urban water system, long term scenarios to manage uncertainty, system stress testing; data needs, smart metering and sensors, advanced data analytics for knowledge discovery, quantification and management of uncertainty, smart technologies for urban water systems; decision-support and informatic tools;...