Communication and collective action
- Variable relationship:
As discussed extensively in Poteete et al. (2010), the ability of a group of resource users to engage in person-discussions--even without the possibility of sanctioning,--(Personal Communication) has positive effects on their ability to act collectively (Collective Action) and sustain a resource (Commons Condition Trend). It does this by producing needed trust (Actor Group Trust) among the commons users.
As Poteete et al. (2010) state: "For example, face-to-face communication (and resulting verbal commitments) may change participants’ expectations of other participants’ responses. In particular, if a participant believes that other participants are reciprocators (i.e., will cooperate in response to cooperative play), that participant may play cooperatively to induce cooperation from others. In this case, cooperating can be sustained as rational play in the framework of incomplete information regarding participant types."
- Project
- SESMAD
- Sector(s)
- Scientific Field
- Component Type(s)
- Status
- Public
Variables
| Variable | Role | Role Explanation | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal communication | Underlying independent variable | The ability to communicate regarding their shared dilemma has been shown to encourage collective action in many instances. | Frequent (e.g. More than once a year) |
| Actor group trust | Proximate independent variable | In person communication increases trust among resource users. | High |
| Collective action | Intermediate outcome | High levels of trust encourages collective among resource users | High |
| Commons condition trend | Final outcome | High levels of cooperation help to sustain the commons that is being managed. | Remained the same or Improved |
Related Theories
| Theory | Relationship | Characterizing Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) | nested | |
| Past collaboration and social capital | related | |
| Collective action and the commons | contains |