ABSTRACT
The style of governance an actor prefers or adopts is related to the culture, history, and norms of the organization and how the individual interacts with society. Governance styles are an emergent quality of human behavior and originate from the three socially active ways of life: hierarchism, individualism, and egalitarianism. A governance style assessment begins at the individual actor level by identifying how each actor perceives and applies governance as it relates to the organization. The style of the governance actor; the smallest unit of governance, holds important information relative to how organizational governance manifests itself. Insights into the nature of an individual’s and organization’s governance style can be gained by assessing their governance preference. Governance ecosystems manifest themselves from the governance styles and footprints of organizations and collaborations. Modern networks of non-government organizations, social entrepreneurs, governments and businesses have evolved to create business ecosystems to resolve previously unresolvable socio-economic issues.
