Collective Learning in Collaborative Networks: Understanding Actors’ Perceptions

Collaborative networks which involve diverse public and private actors holding different views and interests are more and more common for coping with environmental problems. Collective learning, characterized by the development of shared understandings and by the alignment of actors’ perspectives and goals, is crucial to achieve durable policy solutions and achieve cross-scale integration. Although recent theoretical developments suggest that collective learning in collaborative networks happens when communication is facilitated through social relations and structural characteristics of the network, more research is needed to specify factors of collective learning. In particular, little is known about what shapes individual's perception of collective learning, when collaborative success also depends on individuals’ positive perception of its outcomes. Based on autocorrelation analyses of eight Belgian collaborative structures involved in environmental policy-making, this communication assesses the role of social relations, uses of one’s idea, and procedural fairness for collective learning, defined as the extent to which individuals perceive that actors’ objectives have aligned over time. Eights collaborative networks are composed of 10 to 20 individuals who were both surveyed and interviewed about their participation. It appears that an actor local transitivity and a positive perception about the uses of its ideas positively influence her perception of collective learning. Procedural fairness is not significant. In sum, this communication on individual perception of collective learning highlights the importance of tie strength and the balance between individual and collective objectives for collaborative networks success