Boundary spanning: Its role in trust development between stakeholders in integrated water resource management

This study sheds light on the importance of boundary spanners in developing the conditions that foster trust between stakeholders in integrated water resource management (IWRM). Boundary spanners routinely reach across organizational borders to build interconnections and interdependencies in order to manage complex problems, inform policy, and encourage knowledge sharing. The importance of the boundary spanning role has been shown in organizational business practices, urban planning, and higher education yet little research exists on its impact in IWRM. The mixed methods approach used in this study involved surveying and interviewing individuals with previous experience with IWRM in Nebraska. The results of the survey indicated that boundary spanning behavior predicted a large percentage of the variance in conditions that build trust between stakeholders. Further exploration revealed that boundary spanning, cooperation, power imbalance, and scale mismatch were predictors of trust building conditions. In addition, authentic leadership, autonomy, and trustworthiness were predictors of boundary spanners\u27 ability to establish trust building conditions between stakeholders,with trustworthiness being the strongest predictor. The qualitative phase included interviewswith thirteen individuals who participated in the online survey and scored high in boundary spanning behaviors. The interview analysis resulted in seven themes, which strongly support the promising role that boundary spanners play in fostering conditions that build trust between stakeholders within IWRM. This paper reflects on the importance of a boundary spanner within integrated water management, demonstrates the effectiveness of boundary spanning on the development of trust building conditions, and encourages more research on how to better identify and train boundary spanners to assist in the co-production of knowledge

A Conceptual Framework for Social, Behavioral, and Environmental Change through Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resource Management

Incorporating stakeholder engagement into environmental management may help in the pursuit of novel approaches for addressing complex water resource problems. However, evidence about how and under what circumstances stakeholder engagement enables desirable changes remains elusive. In this paper, we develop a conceptual framework for studying social and environmental changes possible through stakeholder engagement in water resource management, from inception to outcomes. We synthesize concepts from multiple literatures to provide a framework for tracing linkages from contextual conditions, through engagement process design features, to social learning, community capacity building, and behavioral change at individual, group, and group network levels, and ultimately to environmental change. We discuss opportunities to enhance the framework including through empirical applications to delineate scalar and temporal dimensions of social, behavioral, and environmental changes resulting from stakeholder engagement, and the potential for negative outcomes thus far glossed over in research on change through engagement

Boundary Spanners and Trust Development Between Stakeholders in Integrated Water Resource Management: A Mixed Methods Study

Natural resource issues are inherently complex, even more so are those that involve the management of water. Because watersheds tend to cross multiple jurisdictional and geographical boundaries, a diverse set of stakeholders are needed to develop appropriate and sustainable management policy. This research sheds light on the importance of boundary spanners assisting in the development of trust between stakeholders in integrated water resource management (IWRM). Previous literature has explored the advantages to boundary spanning leadership in business practice, emergency management, university and community management as well as fish and wildlife management, but has failed to address the area of integrated water management. Boundary spanners are key to establishing stakeholder relationships, providing safe spaces for open and honest communication, and aiding in trust development. Through a mixed-methods approach, we posed the following research questions: 1) Do boundary spanners cultivate trust between stakeholders within the IWRM process? 2) How do boundary spanners cultivate trust between stakeholders within the IWRM process? The quantitative phase surveyed individuals who had previous experience with IWRM in Nebraska. Demographic factors (age, education, and gender) and boundary spanning were used as predictors in a regression analysis of trust building between stakeholders. Power imbalance, scale of governance, conflict, and cooperation were used as moderators of the relationship between boundary spanning and trust building between stakeholders. Autonomy, authentic leadership, and trustworthiness were used as predictors of boundary spanning behavior. Boundary spanning predicted a large percentage of the variance in trust building between stakeholders. Power imbalance, scale of governance and cooperation did not moderate the relationship between boundary spanning and trust building; however, conflict was a weak, negative moderator. In subsequent model testing using hierarchical regression, boundary spanning, cooperation, power imbalance, and scale of governance were found to be predictors of trust building with boundary spanning having the greatest influence on trust building between stakeholders. Authentic leadership, autonomy, trustworthiness, older participants, and females all positively influenced boundary spanners’ ability to influence trust building, with trustworthiness being the strongest predictor of boundary spanning. The qualitative phase involved interviewing 13 individuals who participated in the online survey and scored more than one standard deviation above the mean on boundary spanning behaviors. Seven themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews and increased our understanding of the role of boundary spanners in building trust between stakeholders. Boundary spanning behavior sets the stage for improved stakeholder relationships and enhances trust and the likelihood of a more successful IWRM outcome. Adviser: Mark E. Burbac

Bridging Boundaries in Stakeholder Engagement

Natural resource professionals, political leaders, and environmental organizations are recognizing the need for more informed and educated stakeholders to tackle today’s complex natural resource concerns. This dissertation investigates the nature of stakeholder engagement and its influence on natural resource management. The purpose of this study is to: 1) examine the attitudes that influence agricultural producers’ involvement in stakeholder engagement and community capacity building, 2) determine if boundary spanning skills can be developed through a professional development program, and 3) investigate the role of boundary spanners within a stakeholder-directed engagement process. Data was collected from interviews of Nebraska agricultural producers and natural resource professionals with experience in stakeholder engagement and from a survey of Nebraska Water Leaders Academy participants and their raters. The first study explores the factors that enable or constrain agricultural producers’ engagement and community capacity building in Nebraska. Seventeen participant interviews were conducted with agricultural producers identifying several barriers to producer participation. The findings also included enabling factors which may act as an incentive for more engagement by producers. The second study develops and evaluates an evidence-based boundary spanner development program for natural resource professionals. Nebraska Water Leaders Academy participants were asked to take part in a boundary spanner workshop as part of the year-long Academy and surveyed to assess their boundary spanning skills. Results indicate that certain boundary spanning competencies can be learned when coupled with a program that incorporates participant experiences, internal support, personal reflection, and program evaluation. The third study investigates boundary spanning skills evident among participants in an 18-month stakeholder engagement process in Nebraska. Twenty-five participant interviews were conducted covering a range of issues to determine if individuals participating in a stakeholder-directed engagement process exhibited boundary spanning behaviors and if so, how were these skills applied in practice. These three research projects identify strategies that can lead to more effective and sustainable stakeholder engagement processes and highlight the challenges inherent in bringing a diverse group of individuals together to solve complex natural resource concerns

Longitudinal assessment of an integrated approach to large-scale common-pool water resource management: a case study of Nebraska’s Platte River basin

The state of Nebraska, USA employs a localized, integrated approach to managing water resources to address escalating quantity challenges. Here, we assess differences between agricultural water users’ perceptions of water management in a water-stressed area of Nebraska after a first round of water management planning and perceptions of three other stakeholder groups in Nebraska immediately after a second round of water management planning. We also demonstrate the value of augmenting Ostrom’s common-pool resource management design principles with locally relevant criteria to evaluate water management at regional and statewide governance scales. Data from a survey of Platte River basin agricultural producers in 2012 were combined with survey data collected in 2019 from Platte basin agricultural producers, Platte basin non-farm residents, and non-farm residents across Nebraska. There were significant increases from 2012 to 2019 in Platte basin producers’ perceptions of four criteria and significant decreases in their perceptions of four other criteria. The current system continues to work relatively well, but notable exceptions endure, including a significant decrease in the number of agricultural producers who agree that there is equitable treatment of water users and trust in water management agencies. Non-farm respondents were significantly less likely than producers to agree that the current water management system is working well with regard to enforcing water-use rules