Suchergebnisse

The purpose of this paper is to summarize some of the bargaining issues involved in collective action to address local common-pool problems and to illustrate them in three empirical cases. The importance of timing or the sequence of coalition building and the heterogeneity of the participant's preferences, information and stakes in the problem are emphasized. Two of the empirical cases involve traditional CPR problems and efforts to resolve them in fisheries and oil fields. The third involves collective action by private firms to obtain government assistance to control orange shipments so as to fix prices. Although the cases are quite different, with one involving a non-renewable resource, another a renewable resource and a third addressing cooperation for provision of an industry public good, the bargaining problems encountered among heterogeneous parties are very similar. This condition allows for generalizations to be drawn about the conditions for successful collective action.

The paper suggests a theoretical game framework to explain collective action dynamics by learning processes. When a certain fact becomes common knowledge due to a certain event, people accumulate knowledge about the state of the world & act accordingly. We concentrate on a conceptual example of the bandwagon dynamic showing the insights that this approach adds to existing studies. We analyze two other conceptual examples showing that the accumulation of information does not always bring people to know the truth about the state of the world. On the other hand, it may make them aware of their ignorance. Several practical implications follow. 4 Tables, 47 References. Adapted from the source document.

First in a series of guest-blogging posts.

Recently in New York City, a nurses' union walked out on strike at two major hospitals. Given the significance of the event, the strike was covered by mainstream media, particularly the preparations made by the hospitals in advance of the strike. Stories of newborn babies being transferred out of neonatal intensive care units to other hospitals lest they risk a lack of health care during a strike were reported. The union's varied demands included increased compensation and nurse‐to‐patient staffing ratios.