On the merits and pitfalls of introducing a digital platform to aid conservation management: Volunteer data submission and the mediating role of volunteer coordinators

Arts, aKoen; Melero, Yolanda; Webster, Gemma; Sharma, Nirwan; Tintarev, Nava; Tait, Elizabeth; Mellish, Christopher; Sripada, Somayajulu; MacMaster, Ann-Marie; Sutherland, Hollie; Horrill, Chris; Lambin, Xavier; Van der Wal, René

Abstract

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.

Citation

Arts, A., Melero, Y., Webster, G., Sharma, N., Tintarev, N., Tait, E., Mellish, C., Sripada, S., MacMaster, A.-M., Sutherland, H., Horrill, C., Lambin, X., & Van der Wal, R. (2020). On the merits and pitfalls of introducing a digital platform to aid conservation management: Volunteer data submission and the mediating role of volunteer coordinators. Journal of Environmental Management, 265, Article 110497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110497

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 24, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Apr 8, 2020
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Apr 8, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 9, 2021
• Print ISSN: 0301-4797
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 265
• Article Number: 110497
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110497
• Keywords: Volunteer-based management; Technological innovation; Environmental citizen science; Human-computer interaction; Invasive species control; Volunteer coordination
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2651862