TY - JOUR
T1 - On the merits and pitfalls of introducing a digital platform to aid conservation management
T2 - Volunteer data submission and the mediating role of volunteer coordinators
AU - Arts, Koen
AU - Melero, Yolanda
AU - Webster, Gemma
AU - Sharma, Nirwan
AU - Tintarev, Nava
AU - Tait, Elizabeth
AU - Mellish, Christopher
AU - Sripada, Somayajulu
AU - MacMaster, Ann Marie
AU - Sutherland, Hollie
AU - Horrill, Chris
AU - Lambin, Xavier
AU - van der Wal, René
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - Against a backdrop of accelerating digital innovation in nature conservation and environmental management, a real-world experiment was conducted with the research aims of assessing: 1) the effects of introducing a digital data-entry platform on volunteer data submission; and 2) the extent to which coordinators influence digital platform use by their volunteers. We focussed on a large-scale volunteer-based initiative aimed at eradicating the non-native American mink (Neovison vison) from northern Scotland. This geographically dispersed conservation initiative adopted a digital platform that allowed volunteers to submit records to a central database. We found that the platform had a direct and positive effect on volunteer data submission behaviour, increasing both the number and frequency of submissions. However, our analysis revealed striking differences in coordinator engagement with the platform, which in turn influenced the engagement of volunteers with this centrally introduced digital innovation. As a consequence, the intended organisation-wide rolling out of a digital platform translated into a diversely-implemented innovation, limiting the efficacy of the tool and revealing key challenges for digital innovation in geographically-dispersed conservation initiatives.
AB - Against a backdrop of accelerating digital innovation in nature conservation and environmental management, a real-world experiment was conducted with the research aims of assessing: 1) the effects of introducing a digital data-entry platform on volunteer data submission; and 2) the extent to which coordinators influence digital platform use by their volunteers. We focussed on a large-scale volunteer-based initiative aimed at eradicating the non-native American mink (Neovison vison) from northern Scotland. This geographically dispersed conservation initiative adopted a digital platform that allowed volunteers to submit records to a central database. We found that the platform had a direct and positive effect on volunteer data submission behaviour, increasing both the number and frequency of submissions. However, our analysis revealed striking differences in coordinator engagement with the platform, which in turn influenced the engagement of volunteers with this centrally introduced digital innovation. As a consequence, the intended organisation-wide rolling out of a digital platform translated into a diversely-implemented innovation, limiting the efficacy of the tool and revealing key challenges for digital innovation in geographically-dispersed conservation initiatives.
KW - Environmental citizen science
KW - Human-computer interaction
KW - Invasive species control
KW - Technological innovation
KW - Volunteer coordination
KW - Volunteer-based management
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110497
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110497
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85082771640
SN - 0301-4797
VL - 265
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Management
M1 - 110497
ER -