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Transformative Leadership and Transdisciplinary Research: Synergies to Address Climate Change

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Handbook of Climate Change Management

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Abstract

While the diversity of ontological and epistemological approaches to climate change research can present challenges for collaborative research, this study finds important synergies in transformative leadership and ecologies of transdisciplinary research. We argue these synergies are harnessed in transdisciplinary research when leadership is focused on advancing pro-social and pro-environmental solutions. With specificity, Garnaut ((2008) The Garnaut climate change review: final report. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p xviii) describes the complex nature of climate change as a predominant “diabolical policy problem” underscored by societal, economic, organizational, political, and legal processes that are often fragmented. Institutions seeking to investigate and mitigate risks and disasters associated with climate change often utilize standardized siloed approaches. These approaches may be deficient in tackling the issue of climate change as disciplines comprise prior ontological and epistemological biases. This is particularly salient in micro- and meso-challenges encountered in university-led research as disciplinary bias may impede a holistic understanding of how climate change impacts society and the environment. In this study, we investigate how transdisciplinary research can provide spatial, temporal, and vectorial information constituting interconnected processes. Utilizing a case study methodology, we detail collaborative projects among different universities, nonprofit organizations, and institutions which directly tackle climate change. Preliminary evidence elucidates how spatial, temporal, and vectorial information act as latent processes that enable the identification of macro- and micro-level challenges faced by transdisciplinary teams. Specifically, transdisciplinary research teams were found to have varied ontological and epistemological lenses which allowed them to identify underlying assumptions regarding critical problems. These lenses promoted three types of strategies: replication of standardized solutions, incremental improvement of prior solutions, and disruptive strategies that emphasized novel approaches. In synthesis, we contribute a framework for sustainable transdisciplinary leadership which highlights synergies between transformative leadership and transdisciplinary research. Opportunities for further research in this highly relevant field of inquiry are offered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Auckland Business School, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Rachel Wolfgramm & Gerson Francis Tuazon

Authors
  1. Rachel Wolfgramm
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  2. Gerson Francis Tuazon
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Correspondence to Rachel Wolfgramm .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Johannes M. Luetz

  2. College of Development Studies Food Security Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Desalegn Ayal

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Wolfgramm, R., Tuazon, G.F. (2021). Transformative Leadership and Transdisciplinary Research: Synergies to Address Climate Change. In: Luetz, J.M., Ayal, D. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57281-5_158

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