Social Influence in Social-Ecological Systems: Collaborative Capacity and Inter-Organizational Networks in the U.S. Sagebrush

• Published in: Environmental management (New York) 2024-10
• Main Authors: Bixler, R Patrick, Essen, Maureen, Thomsen, Jennifer, Johnson, Shawn, Atshan, Samer, Shariatmadari, Auva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0364-152X; 1432-1009; 1432-1009
• DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-02026-9

Collaborative governance has become a prominent, if not dominant, framework for thinking about multi-scalar and cross-jurisdictional environmental management. The literature broadly and consistently suggests that collaborative capacity and inter-organizational networks provide the institutional framework for addressing social-ecological system challenges. Surprisingly little scholarship addresses processes of social influence (or contagion) in social-ecological systems writ large, or more specifically as it relates to collaborative capacity. In this study, we consider the relationship between network position and structure and "collaborative capacity". We use a linear network autocorrelation model to establish a quantifiable, statistical relationship between an organizational-level outcome (collaborative capacity) for organizations that are relationally connected in a network addressing conservation and management issues in the U.S. sagebrush biome. We test three general hypotheses: (1) that social position - operationalized as network centrality - is related to collaborative capacity, (2) that subgroup or community structure - operationalized as modularity - is related to collaborative capacity, and (3) that there is a social contagion effect of collaborative capacity. Our results identify a positive relationship between collaborative capacity and organizations in positions of brokerage as well as evidence of a "collaborative capacity" contagion effect. This work contributes to our understanding of the role of bridging organizations and networks for large-scale environmental management.