Evolution of an Idea - 5

Step 5 - Institutionalization

The final step sees the idea growing into a tree like structure, a self sustaining and self functioning body. Sometimes it gets developed physically into a proper institution or organization but sometimes it operates fictionally. This doesn’t mean however latter one is unorganized. It’s just that there was no need to support the idea as it was working just fine without extra need of care.

Let’s look at the transition of an idea to clarify it: A bike gets introduced into a village by a businessman. This is level of awareness to the people bike exists. In the start, people might consider this as a funny act. People keep on noticing it time and again before they are habitual to its sound. While noticing the businessman’s daily schedule, it is realized that with the help of bike it seemed to make things happen quickly. Having this realization, some other people also start to question about the bike with the businessman. New bikes start to come into scene in the village roads. Since, bike might have some problem, an assistant in an auto workshop finds prospect to start repair shop in the village. Although he isn’t able to provide each and every service to the customer, but with his reference and support, riding bike becomes a ritual.

As we discussed in the earlier step, where community starts to demand for the services and some people come up with an entrepreneurial concept to institutionalize the whole concept. Although a lot of people get confused that the institution which started the idea is the only thing that will organize, but in most of the cases it is with the birth of new organization after understanding the exact need will be able to armor the concept. Some organizations can be really clever to establish the need of their organization by having them flow through the steps as discussed earlier; but I have hardly seen any organization having such patience.

In a village, there are very less number of people who believe dairy production was profiting. But after seeing some of the neighbors flourish with the produced milk, some start to opt the same profession. However, now with the increased in number of the milk, it was not fairy possible to get every container of milk to get into the market. Also, lab support was required to check the standards of the milk. Looking at such, an old milkman felt there is need of an organization which would single handedly sort the problems of all the milkmen. That’s when they thought of establishing a Co-operative which would do the same. The cooperative made it possible to attract more milkmen, establish a testing center, taking all the milks to market and also aimed to run chilling centre in case all milks won’t get to the market the same day. This is in a real sense getting an idea evolves till it gets institutionalized.

Now, as soon as an institutionalized idea is in hand, it works as a prototype which can be replicated in other needed community. Although the dynamics could be different from a place to another, with the understanding of cycle in its evolution, quick interventions can be made just to keep the idea in track. This way of establishing an idea gains support and recognition from majority of the community than institute who establish to give services without the need establishment. 

The credit to the knowledge of evolution of an Idea goes to Dr. S.B. Thakur. With a single sitting of merely one to two hours, level of social changes made some real and striking impact on me. Getting amazed by viewing everything through this lens, I aspire to become a social architect. ;evolusun