ABSTRACT

Instability in multi-level systems implies the lack of balance between convergent and divergent features of the system. One of the major factors affecting the balance is asymmetrical arrangements across levels and actors which can cause a lack of cohesion within the system. Incohesive features appear due to (1) a lack of adaptiveness to the multi-level dynamics and complex framework, (2) insufficient trust among competing realities, and (3) inadequate coordination among the levels and actors that determine the features of the system. While adaptiveness, trust, and coordination can be consolidated into the overarching concept of cohesion, cohesion itself reinforces the concept of stability.