How participant values influence reasons for pursuing voluntary programme membership

Abstract

Among the policy instruments used to pursue social and environmental goals, voluntary programmes are seen as ‘win‐win’ opportunities. Despite a sizeable literature documenting reasons individuals opt into voluntary programmes, little attention has been paid to why participants are motivated by certain reasons more than others. This article addresses this gap. Using data from a survey of organic producers in the United States Department of Agriculture's organic certification programme, we examine how organic producers’ values relate to their stated reasons for pursuing organic certification. Along the way, we test hypotheses inspired by grid‐group cultural theory, as well as a hypothesis regarding the alignment of participants’ values and the substantive programme domain. Study findings provide consistent support for the value‐alignment hypothesis and mixed support for grid‐group expectations. We conclude by discussing the findings’ implications for voluntary programme theory and empirical programme success.

Construct Validity of Cultural Theory Survey Measures

“…Others highlight different aspects of construct validity and provide different ways to assess it (Brown, 2000;Cronbach and Meehl, 1955; cultural alliances (Thompson, Ellis, and Wildavsky, 1990:83-100;see also Jenkins-Smith et al, 2014;Ripberger, Jenkins-Smith, and Herron, 2011;Ripberger et al, 2014;Swedlow, 2002;Weare, Lichterman, and Esparza, 2014) and for a normative theory derived from CT that values cultural pluralism (Thompson, Ellis, and Wildavsky, 1990:96-97;Ney and Verweij, 2014;Verweij and Thompson, 2006;Verweij et al, 2011;Verweij, 2011; see also Lockhart and Franzwa, 1994). Adapted or taken from Carter, Heikkila, and Weible (2018) and Ripberger, Swedlow, and Liu (2016) Group "Group refers to the extent to which an individual is incorporated in bounded social units…"…”

“…Adapted or taken from Carter, Heikkila, and Weible (2018) and Ripberger, Swedlow, and Liu (2016) Hierarchical relations "When an individual's social environment is characterized by strong group boundaries and binding prescriptions, the resulting social relations are hierarchical…"…”

“…Adapted from Carter, Heikkila, and Weible (2018) and Wouters and Maesschalck (2014:240-41), Table 3 Continued Swedlow et al (2016a:68-69, Appendix 3); adapted from Swedlow (2008), Swedlow and Wyckoff (2009), and Duerk (2012) and Wildavsky (1990:28) "Nature is a skill-controlled cornucopia." "Nature is a lottery-controlled cornucopia."…”

Cultural Theory's Contributions to Risk Analysis: A Thematic Review with Directions and Resources for Further Research

“…However, new operationalizations of CT in surveys show that respondents can report on their experiences with relations or observations of them as distinct from their preferences for them or their cultural biases. Pioneering work is being done to operationalize CT to study organizational culture and relations in the family, work, and politics through such self‐reports (Carter, Heikkila, & Weible, 2018; Liu, 2018; Maleki & Hendriks, 2015; Swedlow et al., 2016b; Wouters & Maesschalck, 2014), although existing CT and CCT survey measures already include a few items that effectively measure relations (Swedlow et al., 2016a). A “relational turn” in political science, advocating social network analysis and other approaches for studying relational power in politics (McClurg & Young, 2011; Selg, 2016), provides concepts to operationalize CT's relational, institutional patterns (Malone & Kinnear, 2015; 6 & Swedlow, 2016; Swedlow, 2014).…”

How Values Shape Program Perceptions: The “Organic Ethos” and Producers’ Assessments of U.S. Organic Policy Impacts

“…Producers that participate in the market as certified organic have a range of motivations, from philosophical to economic (Carter, Heikkila, & Weible, ), and concerns are continuously raised that the market is becoming dominated by conventional producers seeking organic price premiums without a commitment to truly organic principles or outcomes. Outcries of organic losing meaning and being co‐opted by agribusiness are common, leading some consumers and producers into alternative markets such as local, non‐GMO, fair trade certified, or sustainably produced (Mosier, ; Obach, ).…”