Willingness to cooperate in shared natural resource management is linked to group identification through perceived efficacy and group norms

Abstract Cooperative management of shared natural resources is one the most urgent challenges world facing today. While there have been advances in understanding institutional design features that enable sustainable management, are few field studies provide theory-based insights into social psychological predictors willingness to cooperate around resources. Here, we address this issue context land pastoralist community conservancies Kenya. In a large survey individuals from different conservancies, test path model links how strongly respondents identified with their conservancy. This relationship mediated by efficient were perceived be, and what extent other people share cooperative norms. The results also point towards several parameters may be conducive developing stronger conservancy identification: transparency purpose, motive alignment, sense ownership, demonstrating benefit. findings processes impact whether outcomes can achieved real-world resource settings, offer practical implications for strengthening governance within related contexts.