UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Witham, Aaron Z.
Dept./Program:
Natural Resources
Year:
2012
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
Issue networks are becoming increasingly important units of analysis for advancing environmental policy research. Most environmental problems extend beyond the political jurisdiction or technical capacity of any single organization. Therefore, studying policy responses to these problems requires a complex understanding of how multiple types of organizations work together, including government agencies, planning commissions, nonprofits, and transit providers. One way to study the power dynamics between a diverse group of organizations is through their communication patterns with each other. This thesis studies the communication patterns of inter-organizational issue networks focused on sustainable transportation at the state scale through survey derived data. The communication patterns between organizations in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are mapped into social network models transformed into network maps.
These network models are examined in detail through two academic journal articles. The first article provides an empirical analysis of the issue networks in the three states, considering all 121 organizations identified for the study, including government agencies, transit providers, nonprofit organizations, and planning commissions. The research question asks whether an organization's network position relates to its perceived influence within the network, and if they do relate, how the network's political environment may inform the relationship. Network position is measured by betweenness, a metric for centrality. The perceived influence of each organization is determined from a survey of the organization's peers within the network. Results suggest that there is a relationship between perceived influence and betweenness in Maine and Vermont, but not New Hampshire. The second article focuses on the nonprofits in the study as a subpopulation, and asks what network-derived and non-network factors explain the perceived influence of the organizations by applying the theories of resource dependency and social capital. The results of this study suggest that both network-derived and non-network factors relate to perceived influence.
These network models are examined in detail through two academic journal articles. The first article provides an empirical analysis of the issue networks in the three states, considering all 121 organizations identified for the study, including government agencies, transit providers, nonprofit organizations, and planning commissions. The research question asks whether an organization's network position relates to its perceived influence within the network, and if they do relate, how the network's political environment may inform the relationship. Network position is measured by betweenness, a metric for centrality. The perceived influence of each organization is determined from a survey of the organization's peers within the network. Results suggest that there is a relationship between perceived influence and betweenness in Maine and Vermont, but not New Hampshire. The second article focuses on the nonprofits in the study as a subpopulation, and asks what network-derived and non-network factors explain the perceived influence of the organizations by applying the theories of resource dependency and social capital. The results of this study suggest that both network-derived and non-network factors relate to perceived influence.