Institutional entrepreneurs and socio-institutional changes in Medellín, Colombia

During a period of regional structural change, the socio-institutional structure and the techno-economic structure are temporarily decoupled due to the relative inertia of the former compared with the rapid changes in the latter. The lag in the coevolution of the socio-institutional and techno-econo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Arnault Morisson, Eva Panetti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020-01-01
Series:Regional Studies, Regional Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2019.1703796
Description
Summary:During a period of regional structural change, the socio-institutional structure and the techno-economic structure are temporarily decoupled due to the relative inertia of the former compared with the rapid changes in the latter. The lag in the coevolution of the socio-institutional and techno-economic structures generates inefficiencies and instabilities, causing transitional failure. In exploring the rationale for policy intervention, this paper examines the actors that aim to influence socio-institutional changes in Medellín, Colombia. It finds that the private sector, under the informal leadership of the Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño, has played the role of institutional entrepreneurs to influence socio-institutional changes. In regions located on the knowledge periphery, in which the socio-institutional structure has not yet fully coevolved with the novel techno-economic structure, policy-makers can induce socio-institutional changes by learning from regions that have already transitioned to the novel techno-economic paradigm.
ISSN:2168-1376