Policy Network Ties in the Dynamic Process of Environmental Conflict Resolution: Uncovering the Evolution of Environmental Governance (Environment & Policy, 60)

Extensive previous research has investigated environmental conflict management issues in networked settings and the design of policy networks, but the emergence and evolution of self-organizing policy networks are still not fully understood. Especially misunderstood is the problem of how the multiple motivations or incentives of competing policy actors in conflictual situations affect their structures of interaction, as this issue has not been studied systematically. This book aims to address the following research questions: how do policy stakeholders cope strategically with collective action or environmental conflict resolution? How do they utilize or maintain formal and informal policy networks to resolve problems effectively? What motivates them to engage or be involved in collaborative or conflictual networks? What influences their networking or their decisions on partner selection for conflict resolution? This book consists of four studies. The goal of the firststudy is to examine the form of a policy network by focusing on how policy networks emerge and evolve at the micro-level to solve collective action dilemmas endemic to decentralized and democratized policy decision-making processes, particularly in the environmental conflict resolution arena. The goal of the second study is to examine the main policy actors and structural characteristics of network governance evolution in the dynamic process of environmental conflict resolution. The goal of the third study is to highlight the role of policy tie formality in the evolution of multiplex ties in the environmental conflict resolution process. The goal of the fourth study is to demonstrate the relationships between patterns of interactions among policy actors and their modified and adjusted strategic behaviours within policy networks and across advocacy coalitions. Preface Acknowledgements Abstract Contents About the Author List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Current Insights into Policy Networks and Environmental Conflict Management 1.2 Objectives and Significance of the Book 1.3 Overview of the Book References Chapter 2: Self-Organizing Policy Network Ties in the Dynamic Process of Environmental Conflict Resolution 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Why Does Public Policy Conflict Occur? 2.3 How Can Multiple Efforts to Mitigate Public Policy Conflicts Be Initiated and Driven? 2.4 Hypotheses 2.4.1 Coordination 2.4.2 Cooperation 2.4.3 Competition for Tie Expansion (Resource Dependency) 2.4.4 Homophily 2.5 Case, Data, and Methods 2.5.1 Case Selection 2.5.2 The Dataset 2.5.3 Statistical Model of Network Change 2.6 Analysis 2.7 Conclusion References Chapter 3: Stability of the Main Policy Actors, Resilience of Their Control of the Agenda, and Intensified Conflicts as Underlying Dynamics of Network Governance in the Environmental Conflict Resolution Process 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The Assumed Positive Aspects of Networks: Network Governance and Conflict Management 3.3 The Plausible Drawbacks or Neglected Aspects of Networks: Network Governance and Conflict Management 3.4 Description of the Conflict in the Case of Hantan River Dam Construction 3.4.1 Stage I: Latency/Emergence 3.4.2 Stage II: Escalation 3.4.3 Stage III: Deadlock 3.4.4 Stage IV: Resolution 3.5 Results of Descriptive Network Analysis 3.5.1 Stage I: Latency/Emergence 3.5.2 Stage II: Escalation 3.5.3 Stage III: Deadlock 3.5.4 Stage IV: Resolution 3.6 Discussions 3.6.1 Stability of the Main Policy Actors in the Evolution of Network Governance 3.6.2 Resilience of Their Agenda Control 3.6.3 Intensified Conflicts 3.6.4 Limitations References Chapter 4: Multiplex Dynamics for the Co-evolution of Formal and Informal Policy Networks in the Environmental Conflict Resolution Process 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Emerging Formal and Informal Policy Networks in Environmental Conflict Resolution Processes 4.3 Co-evolutionary Interplays Between Formal and Informal Policy Networks: Multiplexity 4.4 Hypotheses 4.4.1 Multiplex Enforcement 4.4.2 Substitution 4.4.3 Complementarity 4.4.4 Coordination 4.4.5 Tie Expansion 4.5 Case, Data, and Methods 4.5.1 Case Selection 4.5.2 Dataset 4.5.3 Method 4.6 Analysis 4.6.1 Uniplex Results 4.6.2 Multiplex Results 4.7 Conclusions References Chapter 5: Co-evolutionary Dynamics of the Development of Connection for Policy Conflict Resolution by Policy Actors Across Advocacy Coalitions and Their Media Attention-Seeking Strategies in Environmental Governance 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Social Selection vs. Contagion: Relationships Between Connection Expansions Used for Policy Conflict Resolution and Media Attention-Seeking Behaviours in Environmental Policy Processes 5.3 Hypothesis Development: Selection and Contagion/Influence 5.3.1 Selection: The Impacts of Media Attention-Seeking Behaviour on the Development of Connections for Environmental Policy Conflict Resolution 5.3.1.1 Eligibility or Entitlement 5.3.1.2 Media Attention Homophily 5.3.2 Contagion/Influence: The Impacts of the Development of Environmental Policy Conflict Resolution Connections on Media Attention-Seeking Behaviour 5.3.2.1 Approaching Other Policy Stakeholders for a Venue Search 5.3.2.2 Being Approached by Other Policy Stakeholders as Alternative Venues 5.3.2.3 Reciprocal Contagion/Influence 5.4 Research Design and Method 5.4.1 Case and Data 5.4.2 Methodology: Stochastic Actor-Oriented Model of Network Dynamics 5.5 Empirical Findings 5.6 Conclusions References Chapter 6: Conclusion 6.1 Theoretical and Analytical Implications 6.2 Limitations and Future Studies References Correction to: Co-evolutionary Dynamics of the Development of Connection for Policy Conflict Resolution by Policy Actors Across Advocacy Coalitions and Their Media Attention-Seeking Strategies in Environmental Governance Appendix The Official Chronology of the Hantan River Dam Construction Conflict Extensive previous research has investigated environmental conflict management issues in networked settings and the design of policy networks, but the emergence and evolution of self-organizing policy networks are still not fully understood. Especially misunderstood is the problem of how the multiple motivations or incentives of competing policy actors in conflictual situations affect their structures of interaction, as this issue has not been studied systematically. This book aims to address the following research questions: how do policy stakeholders cope strategically with collective action or environmental conflict resolution? How do they utilize or maintain formal and informal policy networks to resolve problems effectively? What motivates them to engage or be involved in collaborative or conflictual networks? What influences their networking or their decisions on partner selection for conflict resolution? This book consists of four studies. The goal of the first study is to examine the form of a policy network by focusing on how policy networks emerge and evolve at the micro-level to solve collective action dilemmas endemic to decentralized and democratized policy decision-making processes, particularly in the environmental conflict resolution arena. The goal of the second study is to examine the main policy actors and structural characteristics of network governance evolution in the dynamic process of environmental conflict resolution. The goal of the third study is to highlight the role of policy tie formality in the evolution of multiplex ties in the environmental conflict resolution process. The goal of the fourth study is to demonstrate the relationships between patterns of interactions among policy actors and their modified and adjusted strategic behaviours within policy networks and across advocacy coalitions