Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Research Methods and Information Science, Research Methods and Statistics

First Advisor

Robyn Thomas Pitts

Second Advisor

Nicholas Cutforth

Third Advisor

Antonio Olmos

Keywords

Collective action network, Community-based resource management, Evaluation, Network evaluation, Qualitative comparative analysis, Social network analysis

Abstract

Collective action networks are complex systems of interrelated individuals or groups that come together for a common social change purpose (Ernstson, 2011). Researchers have used social network analysis (SNA) to examine the relationship structures and characteristics of collective action networks. However, determining whether collective action networking produces outcomes has been challenging because networks are complex, affected by context, and produce interdependent data. I addressed these challenges by pairing SNA with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a configurational comparative method. Using QCA, researchers can tease out which conditions are necessary or sufficient to produce an outcome. I analyzed a collective action network of community-based resource management groups in Hawaii using SNA. Then, I analyzed the same network using an explanatory mixed methods case study. Finally, I used QCA to integrate the quantitative SNA data with qualitative case study data to determine what conditions were necessary and sufficient to achieve the network’s desired outcomes. Finally, I reviewed the results from using these different methods to explore how QCA can be a useful tool for evaluators to add to their network evaluation toolkit.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Debbie Gowensmith

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

290 pgs

Discipline

Social research, Environmental management



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