Opportunity Tension at the Center: Positive Organizational Behaviors, Participant Capital, and Social Emergence

Abstract

This theoretical essay connects 1) collaboration in voluntary groups that create social value, 2) interpersonal behaviors of the participants, and 3) various forms of “capital” participants bring to opportunities for which they are highly motivated. Positive behaviors and accumulation of participant capital mutually reinforce the sense of opportunity and motivation participants feel for a given project and increase the attractiveness and sense of opportunity for others. This “opportunity tension” grows in a non-linear fashion resulting in increasingly disruptive participant action that ultimately drives the production of emergent social value. A complex systems lens emphasizes mutual reinforcement at multiple scales and containment that bounds interaction. Support for the argument comes from a wide range of literature and peer-reviewed journal articles citing empirical evidence for the individual effects between the various factors. By understanding these dynamics social sector collectives can proactively design their interaction to become more effective in responding to the serious challenges we increasingly face.