Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan

In conservation, Collaboration is thought to improve returns from investment and is frequently encouraged, however not all collaborations are equal and may therefore lack characteristics important for addressing collective action problems. Furthermore, partnerships that are advantageous for a collec...

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Main Authors: Courtney L. Morgans, Angela M. Guerrero, Marc Ancrenaz, Erik Meijaard, Kerrie A. Wilson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2017-07-01
Series:Global Ecology and Conservation
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989417300641
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author Courtney L. Morgans
Angela M. Guerrero
Marc Ancrenaz
Erik Meijaard
Kerrie A. Wilson
author_facet Courtney L. Morgans
Angela M. Guerrero
Marc Ancrenaz
Erik Meijaard
Kerrie A. Wilson
author_sort Courtney L. Morgans
collection DOAJ
description In conservation, Collaboration is thought to improve returns from investment and is frequently encouraged, however not all collaborations are equal and may therefore lack characteristics important for addressing collective action problems. Furthermore, partnerships that are advantageous for a collective may not necessarily be advantageous for an individual. This study investigated collaboration within the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) conservation sector – a system with reported inefficiencies and for which there has been a renewed call for collaborative partnerships. Collaborative partnerships were conceptualised as a social network and analysed using exponential random graph modelling. The prevalence of structural attributes associated with social processes considered to be important for solving collective action problems such as trust and innovation were investigated. Qualitative surveying techniques were used to measure the perceptions of collaboration held by individual actors within the network and the impact of organizational attributes on network formation and perceptions was assessed. Collaboration was found to be occurring within the conservation network and was positively perceived at the individual organisational level. At the collective level, the current collaborative network contains some structural characteristics important for addressing the collective-action problem of orangutan conservation, particularly through innovation and knowledge sharing. However efforts to develop trust between organisations may be needed. To improve returns on investment, future collaborative partnerships must be strategically implemented with individual roles and desired overall outcomes explicitly articulated. Increased operational transparency and improved performance evaluation will be critical for achieving improved collaborative efficiency.
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spelling doaj.art-9eb774450b874252ae4a6b848cc40bd22022-12-22T01:57:57ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942017-07-0111C23624610.1016/j.gecco.2017.07.004Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutanCourtney L. Morgans0Angela M. Guerrero1Marc Ancrenaz2Erik Meijaard3Kerrie A. Wilson4ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, AustraliaARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, AustraliaBorneo Futures, Ciputat, Jakarta, IndonesiaARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, AustraliaARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, AustraliaIn conservation, Collaboration is thought to improve returns from investment and is frequently encouraged, however not all collaborations are equal and may therefore lack characteristics important for addressing collective action problems. Furthermore, partnerships that are advantageous for a collective may not necessarily be advantageous for an individual. This study investigated collaboration within the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) conservation sector – a system with reported inefficiencies and for which there has been a renewed call for collaborative partnerships. Collaborative partnerships were conceptualised as a social network and analysed using exponential random graph modelling. The prevalence of structural attributes associated with social processes considered to be important for solving collective action problems such as trust and innovation were investigated. Qualitative surveying techniques were used to measure the perceptions of collaboration held by individual actors within the network and the impact of organizational attributes on network formation and perceptions was assessed. Collaboration was found to be occurring within the conservation network and was positively perceived at the individual organisational level. At the collective level, the current collaborative network contains some structural characteristics important for addressing the collective-action problem of orangutan conservation, particularly through innovation and knowledge sharing. However efforts to develop trust between organisations may be needed. To improve returns on investment, future collaborative partnerships must be strategically implemented with individual roles and desired overall outcomes explicitly articulated. Increased operational transparency and improved performance evaluation will be critical for achieving improved collaborative efficiency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989417300641Bornean OrangutanCollaborative conservationConservation networksExponential random graph modellingPongo pygmaeusSocial network analysis
spellingShingle Courtney L. Morgans
Angela M. Guerrero
Marc Ancrenaz
Erik Meijaard
Kerrie A. Wilson
Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
Global Ecology and Conservation
Bornean Orangutan
Collaborative conservation
Conservation networks
Exponential random graph modelling
Pongo pygmaeus
Social network analysis
title Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
title_full Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
title_fullStr Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
title_full_unstemmed Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
title_short Not more, but strategic collaboration needed to conserve Borneo's orangutan
title_sort not more but strategic collaboration needed to conserve borneo s orangutan
topic Bornean Orangutan
Collaborative conservation
Conservation networks
Exponential random graph modelling
Pongo pygmaeus
Social network analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989417300641
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