Tragedy Of Commons Research Articles

On Tragedy of Commons, State Sovereignty and BBNJ Treaty: Reconnoitring for Harmony

On Tragedy of Commons, State Sovereignty and BBNJ Treaty: Reconnoitring for Harmony

Ohio's Regional Manufacturing Workforce Partnerships: Governing a Common Pool Resource

Ohio's manufacturing industry sector partnerships (ISP) are economic development and workforce development efforts that rely on community development inputs. The authors posit that graduates of regional, sector-led, industry-specific workforce training programs constitute a common pool resource, as described by Elinor Ostrom, because while hiring graduates is rival, it is not excludable. This creates a workforce version of the tragedy of the commons because these programs often have experiential learning components in workplaces and require funding support, mentoring, and the long-term commitment of company leaders to a partnership. The training programs will flounder if participating employers do not earn a return on their resource expenditures. The output of the partnership program is trained workers, while its primary outcome is the production of goods and services. The economic mobility of the recipients of ISP training is a by-product, or secondary outcome, of the partnership's activities

Institutions and cooperation: A meta-analysis of structural features in social dilemmas.

Cooperation underlies the ability of groups to realize collective benefits (e.g., creation of public goods). Yet, cooperation can be difficult to achieve when people face situations with conflicting interests between what is best for individuals versus the collective (i.e., social dilemmas). To address this challenge, groups can implement rules about structural changes in a situation. But what institutional rules can best facilitate cooperation? Theoretically, rules can be made to affect structural features of a social dilemma, such as the possible actions, outcomes, and people involved. We derived 13 preregistered hypotheses from existing work and collected 6 decades of empirical research to test how nine structural features influence cooperation within prisoner's dilemmas and public goods dilemmas. We do this by meta-analyzing mean levels of cooperation across studies (Study 1, k = 2,340, N = 229,528), and also examining how manipulations of these structural features in social dilemmas affect cooperation within studies (Study 2, k = 909). Results indicated that lower conflict of interests was associated with higher cooperation and that (a) the implementation of sanctions (i.e., reward and punishment of behaviors) and (b) allowing for communication most strongly enhanced cooperation. However, we found inconsistent support for the hypotheses that group size and matching design affect cooperation. Other structural features (e.g., symmetry of dilemmas, sequential decision making, payment) were not associated with cooperation. Overall, these findings inform institutions that can (or not) facilitate cooperation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A primer of community ecology using the R language

AbstractCommunity ecology beginners often struggle to understand theories expressed in complex mathematical formulas and to master computer programming. To remedy this situation, this article provides a practical, R‐based introduction to community ecology by illustrating core concepts (vital rates, carrying capacity, density dependence) and models that can be used to explore the patterns of species abundance and diversity. The structure of this article consists of three modeling exercises, each asking a general question that can be answered by a combination of theory and R programming: (1) what determines the abundance of species, and what makes a population persist and go extinct?; (2) what determines the distribution of species and species diversity?; (3) what determines the relative abundance of species and what allows species to coexist? Through the exercises, I discuss the following five concepts and ideas that provide valuable insights into the questions: (i) the tragedy of the commons, (ii) the theory of island biogeography, (iii) competitive exclusion, (iv) the neutral theory of biodiversity, and (v) frequency dependence. These materials are thus designed to guide the reader in developing an intuition for ecological thinking that will help capture the essence of the global environmental and biodiversity crisis. Although this article does not delineate the scope and depth of the vast field of community ecology, I hope that it will motivate the reader to step up to a more formal introduction to community ecology.

Application of Ambidexterity in Technology Innovation Management: A Literature Review

This paper aims to explore key theories in technology innovation management, including ambidexterity, the tragedy of the commons, the negative spiral, and the knowledge spiral, and analyze their practical applications in management. By balancing exploration and exploitation, effectively managing public resources, avoiding negative spirals, and dynamically managing knowledge, firms can achieve continuous innovation and competitive advantage in complex and rapidly changing environments. This study integrates research from various scholars to provide valuable theoretical foundations and practical guidelines for technology innovation management.

Public right of access to private land: examples and considerations

ABSTRACT Public right of access, everyman’s or everyone's right, freedom to roam, right of public access to the wilderness and the right to roam are terms used for concepts that give people an independent right of access to forest land and rural areas for recreational or passage purposes. Access is not a self-evident right nor are the practices in different countries resolved alike. In this paper, we review how the public right of access is resolved in different countries, with a focus on cases in Sweden and Finland. We highlight problems that arise when the right of access enables extensive use of the land by the public and may make everyone’s right prone to features related to the tragedy of the commons. We find that the code regarding public access depends largely on cultural, historical, and political differences and thus has no international or unambiguous definition as to what it includes or should include. The concept has worked considerably well throughout time but, as the original reasons for the right have waned and recreational use and demand have increased, the question has been raised whether everyone’s right should be redefined to prevent complications between users and landowners.

Threshold incentive mechanisms for the sustainable management of public resources.

Maintaining global ecological balance is inextricably linked to the effective governance of public resources. Previous studies have proposed the introduction of incentive mechanisms to mitigate the defection behavior within the scope of public resource management to facilitate sustainable utilization. However, these incentive strategies often present a considerable financial burden. Here, we first propose a two-threshold incentive scheme based on group state objectives, where the reward mechanism is triggered when the number of cooperators is below the threshold M, and the punishment mechanism is triggered when the number of cooperators is above the threshold Q. We further introduce an incentive mechanism by considering both resource and group thresholds, where incentives are implemented separately when the number of cooperators and the current quantity of resources meet thresholds. Our theoretical results reveal that introducing these two new mechanisms can effectively maintain cooperative behavior and sustainable resources while reducing management costs. However, if the initial resource level is low, the tragedy of the commons will still occur. It is recommended that the number of developers be reduced, the allocation be lowered, or the development simply suspended and the natural regeneration of resources be waited for.

Copyright protection during the training stage of generative AI: Industry-oriented U.S. law, rights-oriented EU law, and fair remuneration rights for generative AI training under the UN's international governance regime for AI

Generative AI relies on simulating and learning from complex data distributions to automatically generate new, meaningful content from large datasets. Training generative AI models carries the risk of copyright infringement. How can we balance the development of generative AI technology with copyright protection during the training stage of these models? In contrast to existing legal scholarship, this article conducts a comparative study of industry-oriented U.S. copyright law and rights-oriented EU copyright law. It draws insights from the concepts of the tragedy of the commons and the tragedy of the anti-commons, proposing the creation of fair remuneration rights for Generative AI training under the UN's international governance regime for AI. This article offers a typological analysis of potential operational models for fair remuneration rights in Generative AI training, drawing analogies to existing remuneration rights in international copyright treaties. The goal is to provide an open framework for further discussion within the international academic community.

Flag of convenience and the tragedy of the commons in maritime transportation

Flag of convenience (FOC) refers to the practice of registering ships in foreign countries to benefit from lax regulations. While FOC offers several short-term cost advantages to ship owners and FOC countries, it poses significant threats to critical international interests, including environmental protection and marine habitat preservation. Despite global outrage and concerns over FOC's environmental impact, the number of FOC ships have continued to rise. Using game theory, we illustrate how individual rationality – opting for FOC to maximize economic benefits – leads to adverse outcomes for the common good, resulting in increased marine pollution, that we refer to as the tragedy of the commons. Our findings have implications for understanding the strategic behaviour of key players in the maritime transportation, revealing the dark side of globalization and stressing the need for stronger international cooperation to shift these behaviours.

A planning model for coal power exit scales based on minimizing idle and shortage losses: A case study of China

Owing to the rising energy demand and coal dependency in developing countries, the losses incurred from coal power exit are substantial, leading to a low willingness to exit and a high risk of tragedy of the commons. Concurrently, the normalization of peak loads and increasing penetration of renewable energy have exacerbated the contradiction between the overall electricity surplus and peak power shortages in these countries. In response to these challenges, we propose an optimal planning model for a coal power exit scale based on the minimization of losses from idle coal power and industrial power shortages. The main findings are presented as follows: First, compared with the coal power exit models guided by the energy trilemma, our model can reduce losses (the primary demand in developing countries) by at least 22 %, and, in some scenarios, it can increase the exit scale by up to 147 GW. Second, unlike existing methods that measure the overall impact of power shortages, our approach is better at capturing industries' production loss characteristics, which is important for developing countries (positioned in the production segment of the industrial chain), including the evolution patterns of resource and time losses, recovery trajectories of power interruptions, and main influencing factors. Third, China's optimal coal power exit scale for 2030 fluctuates between −7 and 282 GW, with total losses between 48.34 and 188.86 billion yuan. This study provides quantitative tools and decision-making references for optimizing coal power exit and power use.

The rules of multiplayer cooperation in networks of communities.

Community organisation permeates both social and biological complex systems. To study its interplay with behaviour emergence, we model mobile structured populations with multiplayer interactions. We derive general analytical methods for evolutionary dynamics under high home fidelity when populations self-organise into networks of asymptotically isolated communities. In this limit, community organisation dominates over the network structure and emerging behaviour is independent of network topology. We obtain the rules of multiplayer cooperation in networks of communities for different types of social dilemmas. The success of cooperation is a result of the benefits shared among communal cooperators outperforming the benefits reaped by defectors in mixed communities. Under weak selection, cooperation can evolve and be stable for any size (Q) and number (M) of communities if the reward-to-cost ratio (V/K) of public goods is higher than a critical value. Community organisation is a solid mechanism for sustaining the evolution of cooperation under public goods dilemmas, particularly when populations are organised into a higher number of smaller communities. Contrary to public goods dilemmas relating to production, the multiplayer Hawk-Dove (HD) dilemma is a commons dilemma focusing on the fair consumption of preexisting resources. This game yields mixed results but tends to favour cooperation under larger communities, highlighting that the two types of social dilemmas might lead to solid differences in the behaviour adopted under community structure.

Building UX design for “cognitive democracy”

We benefit so much from technology but technoscientific infrastructure can also be seen to threaten the complexity of mutual relations, interactions, etc. that are features of democratic society. It is common today to speak of the “tragedy of the commons”, the “unusable” internet – even finding a battery charger on Amazon requires a degree in investigative journalism (Gross), machines that compromise our ability to function without them or that replace us (ML, RBA), epistemic bubbles and echo chambers (Nguyen). Is our technoscientific information age a poison or a cure? It is up to us.

Root foraging strategies and niche segregation of three mediterranean shrub species

Shrubs are usually adapted to stressful environments in which soil resources are limited, and thus, roots are fundamental for their biological success. However, root measures are challenging to collect, especially in field conditions and at the individual level. For this study, we collected data on the three‐dimensional distribution of fine root biomass of twenty‐three individuals belonging to three shrub species in a mediterranean shrubland in central Spain: gum rockrose Cistus ladanifer, rosemary Salvia rosmarinus, and hairy‐fruited broom Cytisus striatus. Our goal was to determine the soil‐foraging strategies adopted by the plants. We hypothesized that plants would show stabilizing niche differences explaining the high plant biodiversity characteristic of mediterranean shrublands and that they would follow the game theory model's prediction of exploitative segregation of roots behaving territorially but also over‐proliferating roots close to their stem and engaging in a root tragedy of the commons. We found that two‐thirds to three‐fourths of the biomass was belowground, and the system's productivity was roughly 500–600 g C m−2 year−1. Only rosemary plants competed with neighbors following the exploitative segregation predictions. Broom plants had the shallowest and most widespread root systems but significantly reduced their root range toward competing neighbors. Gum rockrose presented deep, narrow root systems avoiding extensive overlap with neighbors but did not appear to respond to competitive pressure levels. Shrubs appeared to stratify their roots at different soil depths, supporting the niche segregation hypothesis.

How bibliometric evaluation makes the academia an ‘Iron Cage’: Evidence from Chinese academics

Abstract In response to the escalating reliance on bibliometrics for research evaluation within Chinese universities, this study delves into the far-reaching impact of this trend. Through comprehensive interviews with 15 academics from research-intensive universities encompassing diverse demographics, including gender, age, academic rank, and knowledge domains, the research sheds light on the consequences of bibliometric evaluation at individual and organizational levels. The findings expose how bibliometric evaluation practices can disrupt scholarly autonomy, undermine self-efficacy, erode motivation for innovative research, and trigger opportunistic behaviors among university academics. These outcomes, akin to the ‘Tragedy of the Commons,’ not only hinder institutional progress but also corrode the fabric of collegiality, and result in the performance paradox. The dominance of administrative logic over academic logic has transformed individual researchers and universities into participants in a system of administrative conformity, altering the essence of academic pursuit. Despite China’s earnest efforts to reform university research evaluation, the Chinese bibliometric evaluation sustains a cycle of self-reinforcement that impedes reform progress, particularly in terms of peer review. It is suggested that adopting a nurturing, nuanced approach to bibliometric evaluation is imperative for maintaining a harmonious academic ecosystem and fostering genuine societal advancement.

Unregulated Open-Access versus Regulated Open-Access Fishing: Stakeholders Perceptions in Sierra Leone

Fish stocks are declining in marine capture coastal fisheries in West Africa. Many observers have blamed climate change and the system of open access for the decline. Open-access fishing encourages too many people to take up fishing, and the result is overfishing of the stocks. According to such critics, this is a classic example of Hardin’s tragedy of the commons, whereby a continuous increase in the number of users of a natural resource eventually leads to the collapse of the resource. The present study, which analysed stakeholders’ perceptions about their open-access fishing in Siera Leone’s marine fisheries, conducted 32 key informant interviews. Our research found that while they perceived that open-access fishing impacted fish stocks, most Sierra Leone’s marine capture fishers did not see open access as a cause of fish decline; instead, they blamed the lack of enforced regulations on the methods and extent of fishing. Accordingly, these fishers favoured the continuation of open access—not least because it helps to alleviate hunger and is a readily available source of protein in Sierra Leone’s coastal communities—but accompanied by strict regulations on both the type of fishing gear used and the quantity, size, and species of fish caught. In other words, they preferred regulated open access to unregulated open access. The central government’s resolve to regulate its fishery will determine whether it will transition from unregulated open access to regulated open access or other forms of OA. This study recommends detailed research into how to influence political will to enforce regulations.

A study of irrigation conflict in Khageri irrigation project

While Nepal is rich in water resources, there are also plenty of water related problems. Issues like water scarcity; improper water allocation, distribution, collection of water fees, farmers’ cooperation, performance of water users association etc give rise to water-induced conflict. As there is a wide range of such issues, this article examines only the conflict of water in the sector of irrigation and its management practices. This article assesses the major dimensions of irrigation management and how these dimensions give rise to conflict using a case study of the Khageri irrigation project (KIP). This study is based on the qualitative design including key informant interviews (KII), focus group discussion (FGD) and participant observation. The informants cover key stakeholders like members of water users associations, elderly farmers, local government officials, etc. Some of the major issues concern to conflict is the denial of riparian rights, repair and maintenance activities related to the canal, resource rights dilemmas, human encroachment to the canal, park control and legal restrictions etc. In addition, impact of climate change is one of the major factors that escalate conflict in the study area. Theory of co-management, Hardin’s tragedy of commons -position, interest, and needs (PIN), the best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), etc. were used as a theoretical lenses to analyze the findings. Analysis through these theories has further given rise to some other new theoretical models like neo-liberal socioeconomic resource management.

Synergistic effects of nudges and boosts in environmental education: Evidence from a field experiment

This study investigated the short-term and long-term impact of nudging and boosting within an environmental education program on students' environmental attitudes and energy-saving actions. We conducted a randomized assignment across primary and junior high schools, employing four study settings: board game-based environmental education without nudges or boosts (control); with nudges (setting energy-saving goals in a reflection session); with boosts (a game with a “tragedy of the commons” setting); and with both nudges and boosts. In the game with the “tragedy of the commons” setting, the specification was that pursuing self-interest would harm those of the entire group as well as one's own interests; the aim was to enhance environmental literacy by conveying the importance of cooperation through information. We found that students subjected to the boost became significantly more environmentally conscious in the game and set more goals in the goal-setting nudge task. A follow-up survey was conducted one- and three-months post-intervention. This revealed that students in the nudge-and-boost group, who set higher goals, displayed increased awareness of energy conservation, improved environmental attitudes, and greater adoption of energy-saving practices relative to the control group. The results suggest that combining nudges with boosts sustains the long-term effects of environmental education.

Bielefeld Game Theory and Indiana Institutional Analysis: Elinor Ostrom and Theories of Common-Pool Resources

This article explores the place of game theory in Elinor Ostrom's groundbreaking studies of nonmarket institutions for managing common-pool resources (CPRs) from the 1980s onward. While game theory had been associated with the study of CPRs since at least the later 1960s, the precise way scholars used the theory varied, depending not only on their home discipline but on the locally specific research program they hoped to develop. Ostrom's use of game theory ultimately looked quite different from that of laboratory psychologists studying “commons dilemmas,” political scientists theorizing about constitutional choice, or economists building formal models of sparse markets, bearing perhaps the closest resemblance to the economist Reinhard Selten's skeptical and heterodox applications of game theory to the study of industrial organization. This account of Ostrom's local adaptation of game theory potentially helps us evaluate critiques of her work that focus on her use of rational choice models.

A critical examination of environmental public interest litigation in China - reflection on China’s environmental authoritarianism

Environmental public interest litigation is an innovative legal mechanism for humanity to address environmental crises. It not only addresses the tragedy of the commons in environmental crises but also serves as a crucial means for protecting the rights of environmentally vulnerable groups and upholding environmental justice. Over the past decade, the development of China’s environmental public interest litigation system has been promising. Thousands of such cases are filed each year, making a significant contribution to curbing the further deterioration of China’s environmental crisis. However, China still does not allow individual citizens to initiate environmental public interest litigation, and there are significant hurdles for environmental NGOs to file such lawsuits. As a result, the vast majority of environmental public interest litigation cases in China are initiated by procuratorates, which appears to be another important manifestation of China’s environmental authoritarianism. This institutional setup severely restricts the ability of China’s environmental vulnerable groups to protect their rights and masks many environmental issues that truly need improvement, hindering the realization of environmental justice. From a comparative perspective, compared to countries like the United States with more mature experiences in environmental public interest litigation, China’s system suffers from narrow subject qualifications, extensive restrictions on environmental NGOs, and excessive litigation costs. Even compared to India, another developing country, China’s environmental public interest litigation system appears conservative. Therefore, China’s environmental public interest litigation system urgently needs further reform and improvement.

Resilience of communal water management in La Gomera (Canary Islands): discussing with Hardin and Ostrom

ABSTRACT We analyse the main keys of the traditional agroecosystem of the palm grove (Phoenix canariensis) in irrigated terraces in Valle de Arriba in the municipality of Valle Gran Rey (La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain). Here, irrigation water is not only associated with the land but is also being managed as a communal resource by the inhabitants. The change in the economic model from agriculture to tourism is putting the survival of this traditional agrarian system at risk (agricultural exit, population ageing and economic touristification). The need for preservation is then suggested, but the question that leads us to a re-edition of the so-called “Tragedy of the Commons” arises again: What actors should carry out this preservation? Private agents or the State, as suggested by Hardin, or the rural community, as maintained by Ostrom? We conclude that for the case studied of La Gomera, the rural community has kept managing the communal water resource but at the expense of the secular class struggles won by the farming community against the privatisation of water by private agents and/or the State.