A mindset for the emergence of a culture of economic wellbeing

The transition towards an economy of wellbeing is complex, systemic, dynamic and uncertain. Individuals and organizations struggle to connect with and embrace their changing context. They need to create a mindset for the emergence of a culture of economic well-being. This requires a paradigm shift in the way reality is constructed.
This emergence begins with the mindset of each individual, starting bottom-up. A mindset of economic well-being is built using agency, freedom, and responsibility to understand personal values, the multi-identity self, the mental models, and the individual context. A culture is created by waving individual mindsets together and allowing shared values, and new stories for their joint context to emerge. It is from this place of connection with the self and the other, that individuals' intrinsic motivation to act is found to engage in the transitions towards an economy of well-being. This project explores this theoretical framework further.
Businesses play a key role in the transition toward an economy of well-being; they are instrumental in generating multiple types of value and redefining growth. They are key in the creation of the resilient world needed to respond to the complex and uncertain of our era. Varta-Valorisatielab, De-Kleine-Aarde, and Het Groene Brein are frontrunner organizations that understand their impact and influence. They are making bold strategic choices to lead their organizations towards an economy of well-being. Unfortunately, they often experience resistance from stakeholders. To address this resistance, the consortium in the proposal seeks to answer the research question: How can individuals who connect with their multi-identity-self, (via personal values, mental models, and personal context) develop a mindset of well-being that enables them to better connect with their stakeholders (the other) and together address the transitional needs of their collective context for the emergence of a culture of the economy of wellbeing?

Eindrapportage

This research has further developed and tests in practice the Mandala of Agency, a bottom-up approach to organizational cultural change; a values-based framework and developed the first prototypes of implementation tools.
1. The framework effectively addressed the complexity necessary for the development of a well-being-centred economy within organizations.
2. The framework also proved to have the flexibility and dynamism necessary to adapt to specific organizational needs.
3. The result yield critical components used by the organizations to redefine organizational strategy. Values, Visions and Actions.
4. User-friendly guidelines and tools were prototyped to assist individuals and organizations in applying the Mandala of Agency in a collaborative, values-based approach to actions.
5. Showcase how the organizational culture is shaped by the collective mindset of individuals.
Besides the expected results mentioned about, the project yielded results in other areas
1- Widened its scope via new partnerships and collaborations.
a. The project had a high level of interest from a wider range of organizations. Different collaborations were explored.
b. This research was embedded as a work package in a NWO proposal. Including a NWO consortium for a granted proposal. Within the new NOW proposal, the tools will be further develop
2- Embeddedness into educational programs
a. This research also was embedded into the new Masters for Sustainable Transitions. A cooperation between Avans and Fontys.
b. Various other educational program started to use different tools within their programs.