The Impact of New Policies on Stakeholder Behavior and Formal Institutional Arrangements

• In Event: Evidence-based Govenrance and Policy for Health, Energy, and Environment in South Korea

Abstract

The introduction of new policies can significantly affect the network structures of stakeholders, particularly in contexts where collective action problems exist. In the management of common-pool resources, these network structures are often guided by formal rules and regulations, which can both facilitate and constrain the behavior of stakeholders. To better understand stakeholder behavior in a policy environment, it is crucial to analyze the structural arrangements that either promote or limit specific behaviors (Olivier, 2019).

This research aims to explore how the characteristics of collective action problems, which evolve with the introduction of new policies, impact formal institutional arrangements. The study examines two policy cases within the Nakdonggang River basin: one concerning water quantity, where the management entity changed under the new policy, and the other focusing on water quality, where the management entity remained unchanged despite the policy shift. By employing Institutional Grammar (IG) and Network of Prescribed Interactions (NPIs), the study measures the formal interaction structures in both policy contexts.

Through a comparative analysis of these two cases, the research assesses the extent to which changes in collective action problems—resulting from the introduction of new policies—affect the design and functionality of institutional arrangements. The findings indicate that the introduction of new policies leads to significant changes in the interaction structure, contingent on the specific nature of the collective action problem at hand.

Authors

• Kyung Won Ryu, SungKyunKwan University
  Presenting Author

• Il Hwan Chung
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• In Won LEE, University of Seoul
  Non-Presenting Co-Author