Redefining success in organizing towards degrowth

Abstract

In order to untangle the meaning of success, or rather, thriving, for community-based initiatives (CBIs) that embody and prefigure degrowth, we bring sustainability transition, prefigurative politics, and degrowth scholarships in conversation with group facilitation practice and living systems theory. The article puts forward a model of organizational thriving grounded in the achievement of results while attending to organizational processes and members’ needs. We explore the trajectories of five CBIs located in the province of Barcelona (Spain), looking into the ways such model is reflected, performed, and experienced by each of these. A key insight of our nine-year research is that ‘care’ is core to success. Sustainability transition, and degrowth organizing thus need to acknowledge that ‘success’ does not only stem from the realization of tangible results but from the consideration of members’ needs and the quality of group communication, cohesion, inclusion and decision-making processes inasmuch as reaching targets.