制度弹性:技术治理刚性风险的生成逻辑与化解路径——基于城市网格化管理的比较案例分析

Institutional Elasticity:Generation Logic and Resolving Path of the Rigid Risk in Technology Governance——A Comparative Case Analysis Based on Urban Grid Management

现代化技术手段因其透明化与清晰性,引发了城市基层治理的深刻变革。既有研究多关注技术手段如何为基层治理赋能,忽略了可能伴随技术刚性而来的一系列治理风险。基于组织社会学新制度主义视角,本文建立“制度-技术”二维框架,引入“制度弹性”概念,对A市和K市两个街道网格化管理实践进行分析。研究表明,技术具有刚性“放大镜”作用,其实现时滞性、运用留痕性、传播覆盖性会分别放大制度结构固化、规则硬化、内容僵化等刚性特征,引发灵活性缺失风险、完全信息风险、同质化风险。而基层可能通过制度的弹性“调节器”作用,以非正式资源的正式化运作、绩效评估的底线化思维、适应性创新的合法化机制等路径进行风险化解与环境优化。本文最终提出要遵循“低结构弹性-中规则弹性-高内容弹性”的阶梯型制度设计,以实现基层治理中制度环境与技术环境的平衡。

Profited from its transparency and clarity,modern technology has triggered profound reforms of urban governance at grassroots level.Existing researches focus more on how technology benefits the grassroots governance,but neglect the underlying risks caused by the rigidity.Based on the new institutionalism in organizational sociology,the two-dimensional framework of Institution-Technology was established,the concept of institutional elasticity was introduced,and the grid management practice of two streets in city A and city K was analyzed.The results show that technology has a magnifying glass effect on rigidity.The hysteresis of implementation,the traceability of application and the replicability of dissemination will strengthen the rigid characteristics of the institution,such as the solidification of structure,the hardening of rules and the fossilization of content,which will lead to the inflexibility risk,complete information risk and homogenization risk.Nevertheless,grassroots government can mitigate the risk and optimize the environment through the “regulator”role of institutional elasticity,including promoting the personalized operation of informal resources,upholding the bottom-line thinking in performance assessing,and pursuing the legalization of adjustable innovation.Finally,a ladder-like institution design is proposed,which features “low structural elasticity-medium rule elasticity-high content elasticity”,to achieve a balance between the environment of institution and technology.