An actor-situation-centered multilevel network analysis of Indonesian palm oil industry reveals power dynamics and intervention paths

There is a significant body of literature taking a network approach to analyze the role of power in shaping the process and outcomes of environmental governance. The institutional analytical approach of Network of Action Situation (NAS) increasingly examines the power dynamics by integrating with other power theories to manifest power through many different ways, but is currently missing a quantitative specification that quantifies these forms of power. In contrast, Social Network Analysis (SNA) focuses on the quantification of actors and their relationships that identify key actors and interactions in the network. Yet it may not capture other forms of power demonstrated via diverse situations embedded in the wider social, cultural, and political contexts. The stochastic bipartite network approach of Ecology of Games (EoG) takes its lead in incorporating elements from both, but doesn’t capture other types of action situations and connections that are beyond policy forums and co-participation, where important aspects of power could be located. In this paper, we are interested in identifying the key actors and action situations that are powerful in shaping the governance process and outcomes by combining both network approaches. To do so, we develop an actor-situation-centered multilevel network conceptualization that is built on the EoG literature but takes account of a more generalization of action situations, in order to capture and measure different types of power. The proposed network approach will be tested with the case study of the Indonesian palm oil industry which is associated with severe deforestation and social conflicts due to oil palm plantations. Our aims are (1) methodological aim: to advance a novel approach that integrates NAS and SNA that helps reveal power dynamics in studying environmental governance; (2) research aim: to identify key actors and action situations in the Indonesian palm oil industry that could inform policy interventions. Specifically, we are interested in exploring: (1) will we observe certain correlations between the qualitative and quantitative manifestation of power dynamics? For instance, what are the spatial and power attributes of the powerful actors and action situations identified network centrality measures? (2) what are the policy implications for tackling the sustainability and governance challenges of the Indonesian palm oil industry? To answer the above questions, we draw on the following analytical concepts and methods: (1) the NAS framework; (2) the telecoupling framework; (3) the polycentric power typology; (4) the network centrality measures. Our results help quantify the polycentric power typology and validate the telecoupling framework. We find that action situations located at the global level with pragmatic power and power by design (investment, certification, and global policy) are relatively more powerful compared to the ones with framing power (land use conflicts and information empowerment). Despite of the less powerful position of the latter situations, we find one of its actors, NGOs, to be the key broker in the network in initiating intervention paths and empowering the marginalized.