Bridging divergent institutional logics through intermediation practices: Insights from a developing country context

Jarkko Levänen,Minna Halme,Matti Tervo,Tatu Lyytinen,Sara Lindeman

doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121443

Jarkko Levänen, Minna Halme + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121443

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Abstract

• Research on intermediation has focused on roles of intermediary organizations. • The notion of intermediation practices is introduced. • Intermediation practices bridge divergent institutional logics. • Facilitated intermediation helps to overcome operational inefficiencies. Poverty reduction is critical for global socio-political stability. In this paper we start from the observation that divergent institutional logics may indirectly uphold conditions of poverty. We focus on the intermediation practices of an organization working in Tanzania to deepen collaboration between forest sector stakeholders. Our findings show how operational inefficiencies in the forest sector perpetuate the deprivation of low-income populations and how increased intermediation can help to reduce such inefficiencies. We identify intermediation practices that create learning, clarity and synthesis and so help to overcome key differences between divergent institutional logics. The notion of intermediation practices helps not only to understand the work of intermediaries, but also to explain how operational environments need to be developed to achieve poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Highlights

In the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, the landscape is character ized by an endless undulating forest cover
We describe how Private Forestry Programme (PFP) proactively develops intermediation practices that converge stakeholders’ divergent institutional logics, helping to remove opera tional inefficiencies that perpetuate the deprivation of low-income communities
We identified three types of institutional logic that are important to the development of the Tanzanian forest sector and that are cohesive enough to be observed, studied and conceptualized as separate entities: development logic, market logic and subsistence logic (Fig. 1)

Summary

Introduction

In the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, the landscape is character ized by an endless undulating forest cover. (...) We need industry to be building Tanzania, so that we can get employment to our people.” (MNRT director of forestry planning) “The biggest challenge for us is to make people wait until growing period of trees end For eucalyptus it is 15 years and for pine 20–25 years depending on region.” (Capacity building and communication advisor, PFP) “So, he (local tree grower) thinks, maybe other people want to see other species than the species they have used to see, but he believes in good quality species. The response in the development sector was based on the reasoning that people would stop using natural forests in unsustainable ways if they were educated about the benefits of plantation forestry This would include ‘increased employment, income generation, value added production, potential export earnings and a stable rural environment’, which were likely to ‘improve measures to conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change’ (Indufor 2011, 1–2). TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa, Tanzania Development Partners Group, Ministry of Natural Resources of Tourism, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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