The Logic Of Joint Action:the Transition From Autonomous Self-government To Composite Co-govemance

From Hobbes' "Leviathan" to Tocqueville's " the Science and Art of Association" and then Ostrom couple Autonomous Self-government and multi-center theory,which are essentially about the operation of human governance projects and the issues of joint action.To research and study into the logic of joint action,we have to answer the following questions:what is the joint action;joint action which the basic criteria.In fact,the construction and operation of the organization is a joint action;in order to accomplish joint action,what rules participants should obey.Actually,the construction and operation of certain organization are joint action.The organization operation includes two types:one can be called joint action within an organization,the other is called co-operation between or among organizations,the latter also called composite governance of two or more organization units,such as the co-operation between public and private organizations.The basic nature of an organization operation is the autonomous right of organization.An organization can be viewed as Autonomous unit and action unit with Autonomous right.Concerned with organizations as Autonomous units,following questions have to be answered:what kinds of problem will arise during the process of joint action of organization action;how to adapt to the environment and manage the inter-organizational relationships,and how to construct the intellectual framework concerning organizational operation in order to accomplish working together among diverse action units.Joint action will be divided into two basic action types,namely composite of autonomy and self-governance.How should we understand composite of autonomy and self-governance?What kind of relationship between composite of autonomy and self-governance is?How should we achieve the transition from self-governance into the composite of autonomous?Exploration of these questions and answers are of important value for practitioners and theorists.In term of methods,using a case study and the "examples" are approached,combining theory construction with cases analysis,making the discussion more situational and readable,and enhancing the explanatory power of the theoretical framework.To research into joint action,you must understand concepts of individual level and collective level,and be clear about the transition between variables belonging to individual level or collective level.The analysis framework of joint action contains four levels:the first level is the analysis of individual-level variables,such as the individual's knowledge structure and information processing capabilities.The second level is the joint action.Joint action as the dependent variable,is a concept of collectivism and variables beyond individual attributes with the overall attributes and characteristics,requiring researchers to analyze the internal structure and composition of the elements.The third level is the microscopic structure of the environment variable.Microscopic structure of the environment variables as independent variables has an impact on the joint action.The fourth level is the resource system and management system structure variables.Resources system,include the system of natural resources and social resources system,and the management system,include the legal system and the organization.Complex public affairs often need to organize as a unit to carry out a higher level of co-operation.Actors build or participate in an organization,the environment dispersed actors aggregated into organizational framework,and to organize the unique strengths to promote joint action.On the one hand,as a common carrier operations,organizations must respond to the plight of the internal act together;the other hand,as the context of an action system units,organizations bear the responsibility of maintaining local order,the system must be related to the subject of consultation and cooperation.Common action in the organization's strategy choice,internal management on how to proceed,how to Foreign Liaison and cooperation,how to deal with the environment imposed by the requirements of proper or improper,the organization had to consider and respond to the question.In essence,joint action includes the composite of autonomy and self-governance,and the intrinsic link between them and the logical evolution.Each governance unit has the capability that is limited.If not sufficient to deal with interdependent issues,then we must resort to larger units in order to ensure the appropriate level of decision-making.The face of complex public affairs,autonomous body must unite with his body,or a higher level of community members,or introducing a higher level of the Community,which will gather the powers and resources together.On the one hand,resources and decentralized polycentric governance in the body can be treated according to local conditions within the jurisdiction of their own affairs;On the other hand,decentralized body can come together to deal with complex issues.Governments play an auxiliary function to social autonomy,and look forward to establishing a multivariate mutual assistance society of grass roots priority,social autonomy,state auxiliary,the composite Co-governance.Composite of governance refers to solve common problems,decentralized actors through consultation and coordination,norms and rules of the game to compete with related subject to the power of collective action to deal with the problem.Deal with complex issues of legacy often involves multi-field,across jurisdictions actors,involving a large main differences,conflicts of interest and more.Multiple overlapping autonomous bodies are exerted by the development of an autonomous self-government with the development,mobility and systematic "complex." Complex formation and operation of two or more units are involved in the transposition considerations,consultation,discussion and shared responsibility.Involved decentralized power units are about re-arrangements and organization arrangements and inter-organizational coordination.In particular,the diversity of autonomous units,can achieve Composite Co-governance,mainly through problem construction,program design,organization,standardization,networking,government functions and consultations interpretation of the play.