Combining internal and external motivations in multi-actor governance arrangements for biodiversity and ecosystem services

Abstract

<p>These files provide the original survey data of the paper on motivations for biodiversity conservation in Europe. This paper analyses the possibility of building a mutually supportive dynamics between internally and<br> externally motivated behaviour for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision. To this<br> purpose a face to face survey amongst 169 key actors of 34 highly successful and prominent biodiversity<br> arrangements in seven EU countries was conducted. The main<br> finding of the paper is the feasibility of<br> combining inherently intrinsically motivated behaviours (providing enjoyment, pleasure from<br> experimentation and learning, aesthetic satisfaction) and internalized extrinsic motivations (related<br> to the identification with the collective goals of conservation policy) through a common set of governance<br> features. Successful initiatives that combine internal and external motivations share the following<br> features: inclusive decision making processes, a broad monitoring by “peers” beyond the core staff of the<br> initiatives, and a context that is supportive for the building of autonomous actor competences. These<br> findings are in line with the psycho-sociological theory of motivation, which shows the importance of a<br> psycho-social context leading to a subjective perception of autonomy and a sense of competence of the<br> actors.</p