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| 2. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, 1989-
(author)
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A systems thinking approach to corruption and natural resources in the context of sustainability
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- With growing awareness of the current climate crisis, it has become better recognized that natural resource management has global as well as local implications. Discourse on the importance of sustainability has followed. Natural resource sectors have been known as areas prone to corruption risks due to the usually high revenues involved. Despite the absence of a universally agreed upon definition, it is in general recognized that corruption undermines social and economic development and can impede sustainable resource management. This research sets out to explore the dynamics contributing to corruption risks in natural resource sectors, with an emphasis on renewable resources, and how such risks can be addressed. To shed light on the research question, a qualitative case study approach was chosen, comparing fisheries in Iceland, arable soils in Ukraine and forestry in Romania. A total of 40 semi-structured interviews were conducted with various stakeholders recruited through snowball sampling. The interviews were coded and then analysed by generating causal loop diagrams, a qualitative mapping approach in the field of system dynamics. The main results from this study suggest that the resource sectors under study all transformed towards economies of scale, facilitating the consolidation of large vertically integrated companies with increased economic efficiency demand. The resulting inequality between large and smaller actors in the sectors seems to increase perceived risk of both corruption and unsustainable management practices in all our cases. Public institutions´ capacity and capabilities to monitor resource sectors need adequate resources, else corruption risks can increase because of perceived lack of monitoring. To alleviate corruption risks, transparency in resource management can strengthen accountability and promote sustainability. However, focus on transparency as a policy tool can be misplaced in instances where higher-level intervention points are needed to ensure sustainable resource management, as solutions are context dependent.
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| 3. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, 1989-, et al.
(author)
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Approaching the study of corruption and natural resources through qualitative system dynamics
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The complexity and scale of the challenges posed by the climate crisis demand knowledge sharing and collaboration between a variety of academic disciplines to address them. In that regard, the way in which natural resources are used matters, and more information is needed on which regulatory framework and policy instruments foster their sustainable management. There is consensus that corruption can seriously obstruct social, economic, and political development. However, research on corruption has tended to be fragmented and investigating the concept itself is a challenging endeavour. Due to the complexity of corruption as a research subject, we argue that in seeking to explore and understand corruption, researchers would benefit from using a framework that facilitates an interdisciplinary and process-oriented approach. This paper suggests that the method of system dynamics can be applied to advance the academic discourse on corruption in relation to natural resources, since it seeks to improve understanding and learning in complex systems in an illustrative manner. More specifically, it offers a platform to explore feedback processes between the different social, economic, and ecological dimensions which ultimately produce undesirable behaviour or patterns. The paper outlines how corruption has been approached previously in the academic discourse. It then offers a tool to bridge knowledge from different fields on natural resources, in a way that allows for research from different fields to be integrated and thus gaps better identified. A process-oriented approach to exploring corruption in natural resource systems based on qualitative system dynamics methods can inform new questions and thus improve understanding about the conditions under which corruption occurs or corrupt behaviour thrives.
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| 4. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Approaching the Study of Corruption and Natural Resources through Qualitative System Dynamics
- 2022
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In: Resources. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-9276. ; 11:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The complexity and scale of the challenges posed by the climate crisis demand knowledge sharing and collaboration between a variety of academic disciplines to address them. In that regard, the way in which natural resources are used matters, and more information is needed on which regulatory framework and policy instruments foster their sustainable management. There is consensus that corruption can seriously obstruct social, economic, and political development. However, research on corruption has tended to be fragmented and investigating the concept itself is a challenging endeavor. Due to the complexity of corruption as a research subject, we argue that in seeking to explore and understand corruption, researchers would benefit from using a framework that facilitates an interdisciplinary and process-oriented approach. This paper suggests that the method of system dynamics can be applied to advance the academic discourse on corruption in relation to natural resources, since it seeks to improve understanding and learning in complex systems in an illustrative manner. More specifically, it offers a platform to explore feedback processes between the different social, economic, and ecological dimensions which ultimately produce undesirable behavior or patterns. The paper outlines how corruption has been approached previously in the academic discourse. It then offers a tool to bridge knowledge from different fields on natural resources, in a way that allows for research from different fields to be integrated, and thus gaps are better identified. A process-oriented approach to exploring corruption in natural resource systems based on qualitative system dynamics methods can inform new questions and thus improve understanding about the conditions under which corruption occurs or corrupt behavior thrives.
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| 5. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Corruption Risks in Renewable Resource Governance : Case Studies in Iceland and Romania
- 2020
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In: Politics and Governance. - : Cogitatio. - 2183-2463. ; 8:2, s. 167-179
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this research, we attempt to shed light on the question of where corruption risks in the governance of renewable resources are located and how they have been addressed in European countries that have different levels of corruption. A comparative case study design was chosen, looking into the fisheries sector in Iceland and the forestry sector in Romania. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders sampled through a snowball method. Qualitative coding and systems analysis were used to analyse the interviews. The results indicate that comprehensive and ambitious legislation does not necessarily translate into successful resource governance systems. In general, the institutions that were put in place to enforce and monitor the legal codes and regulations did not have the capacity to carry out their role. Additionally, interviewees were generally found to have a widespread perception of there being a corrupt relationship between politics and big companies operating in their sectors. Our findings suggest that when people hold such perceptions, it undermines anti-corruption policy efforts in the resource sectors, which can then impede sustainable resource management.
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| 6. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Economies of Scale and Perceived Corruption in Natural Resource Management : A Comparative Study between Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland
- 2021
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In: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 13:13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of factors that undermine sustainable management of renewable resources by identifying and analyzing the main drivers and dynamics involved, with a focus on the role of corruption perceptions and its implications. To shed light on the research question, we chose to perform a comparative study of three different resource sectors in European countries that are ranked differently on the Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, namely fisheries in Iceland, forestry in Romania, and arable soils in Ukraine. We conducted 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders to explore assumptions on individual actions and behavior in the sectors. The interviews were analyzed using a qualitative coding procedure based on causal loop diagrams, a method from system dynamics. The results indicate that even though the cases are different, they share a similar outcome, in that privatization of the resource and consolidation of companies took place, along with perceived risk of both unsustainable resource management practices and corruption. Our findings suggest that the underlying similarities of the cases are that privatization occurred around the same time in early 1990s, when neoliberal economic ideology influentially held up the idea that private ownership meant better management. What followed was a transition to economies of scale that ultimately resulted in dominance of large vertically integrated companies in the sectors. The resulting inequalities between large and small actors in the renewable resource management systems serve to increase the risk for unsustainable management decisions as well as increase perceptions of corruption risks, especially amongst smaller actors in the sectors.
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| 7. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, 1989-, et al.
(author)
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Transparency and leverage points for sustainable resource management
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The phrase ‘sunshine is the best disinfectant’ is commonly used to suggest that transparency can counter corruption and ensure accountability. In the policy world, several analytical tools have been developed to obtain information on what policy decision would bring about the biggest positive effect for the least amount of effort. And there is a tendency to view transparency as the silver bullet in that respect. This paper aims to shed light on how measures of transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management. We begin by analysing the concept of transparency and then draw from Donella Meadow’s work on leverage points to analyse the transformative potential of increasing transparency towards sustainable resource management. We then demonstrate the use of this analytical approach by applying it to three case studies: resource management systems in Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. The results suggest that transparency in resource management need to be accompanied with widely accepted standards and accountability mechanisms for transparency to serve as an effective leverage point. If those factors are neglected, credibility of transparency can be undermined. Prioritizing transparency as a policy intervention to alleviate corruption risks, in the absence of accountability mechanisms and clear rules might be misplaced, and deeper leverage points needed.
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| 8. |
- Gisladottir, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Transparency and Leverage Points for Sustainable Resource Management
- 2022
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In: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 14:24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The phrase ‘sunshine is the best disinfectant’ is commonly used to suggest that transparency can counter corruption and ensure accountability. In the policy world, several analytical tools have been developed to obtain information on what policy decision would bring about the biggest positive effect for the least amount of effort. There is a tendency to view transparency as the silver bullet in that respect. This paper aimed to shed light on how measures of transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management. We begin by analysing the concept of transparency and then draw from Donella Meadows’ work on leverage points to analyse the transformative potential of increasing transparency towards sustainable resource management. We then demonstrate the use of this analytical approach by applying it to three case studies on resource management systems in Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. The results suggested that transparency in resource management needs to be accompanied by widely accepted standards and accountability mechanisms for it to serve as an effective leverage point. If these factors are neglected, the credibility of transparency can be undermined. Prioritising transparency as a policy intervention to alleviate corruption risks, in the absence of accountability mechanisms and clear rules, might be misplaced, and require deeper leverage points.
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| 10. |
- Nedelciu, Claudiu Eduard, 1989-, et al.
(author)
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From waste to resource : A systems dynamics and stakeholder analysis of phosphorus recycling from municipal wastewater in Europe
- 2019
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In: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 48, s. 741-751
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recycling Phosphorus (P) from urban wastewater can secure part of domestic agricultural P supply and contribute to a circular P supply chain. In this paper, we use literature review, stakeholder interviews and analysis, and systems dynamics for the capital cities of Stockholm and Budapest as case studies. We find that political support is a prerequisite for developing the P recycling sector, and policy makers are the most influential stakeholders. P criticality is the main driver for political support. P externalities from mining to sludge disposal should be considered when evaluating P criticality and recycling profitability. We conclude with policy recommendations for the development of the P recycling sector, arguing for legally binding P recycling targets and prioritization of the safest technological solutions available. Our analysis identifies three policy action indicators and five policy interventions in the recycling system.
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