Quadrantology

Quadrantology: Archetypes for the Anthropocene. Quadrantology is a personality test and social physics model that explores how individuals and organizations change together through creative destruction. These two modeled patterns lead to 6 archetypal roles involved in driving institutional evolution, grouped into two sets of 3 archetypes each: exit archetypes, and voice archetypes. (see Exit, Voice, And Loyalty)

The Exit Archetypes

A disruption pattern driven by exit motives, and a reform pattern driven by voice motives. The two patterns of change form a yin-yang duality pair. The outcome of the creative-destruction process depends on their relative strengths in a given situation.

This then led to a 2x2 diagram (hence the name) and a personality test designed to unpack how individuals change along with their environments. So far, a couple of hundred people have taken the test, and an online version is under development.

Quadrantology models the systemic response as two competing patterns of change, based loosely on Albert. O. Hirschman's classic

an essay on ribbonfarm exploring how individuals "fall off the wagon" when trying to change themselves

disruption is modeled as a 3-stage cycle that bootstraps new organizations. The cycle begins with a stuck organization, where a hacker finds an innovative, expedient solution to an intractable problem that involves breaking a rule. A contrarian then emerges to champion a heterodox philosophy for the institution based on legitimizing the hacked solution as the beginning of a whole new way of doing things. Finally, a legalist codifies the heterdox solution into new rules, defining a new organization.

reformation is modeled as a 3-stage cycle, the mirror image of the disruption/exit cycle, which reforms institutions in trouble. The cycle again begins with a stuck organization, often one facing external disruption. A principled investigator traces the source of a specific intractable problem to systemic corruption and decay. A holy warrior then emerges to champion a return to the "true" values of the institution via a reformation mission. Finally, an operator completes the cycle by driving the reformation through, by reconstructing the organization in accordance to the reformation values

Individuals can use the quadrantology model to assess their own situational personalities, and pick a side in an evolving institutional landscape. Analysts can use the quadrantology model for predict winners and losers in ongoing creative destruction. Organizations can use the model to guide internal reform efforts and external disruption efforts.