The Role of Government in Voluntary Environmental Programs: A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)

26 Pages Posted: 10 Dec 2014

See all articles by Jeroen van der Heijden

Jeroen van der Heijden

Victoria University of Wellington, School of Government; Australian National University, School of Regulation & Global Governance (RegNet)

Date Written: 2014

Abstract

Voluntary Environmental Programs (VEPs) have become increasingly popular in addressing environmental risks that are too complex to solve through traditional direct regulatory interventions. Whilst VEPs have attracted much scholarly attention, little is known about how they cause their outcomes. This article seeks to better understand whether and how the roles of governments in VEPs affect their outcomes in terms of (i) attracting participants, and (ii) their contribution to a desired collective end. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) this article addresses a series of 31 VEPs in the building sectors of Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. It is particularly interested to better understand what configurations of five specific governmental roles in VEPs are sufficient to attract participants and contribute to a desired collective end. It uncovers three ideal type roles for governments in VEPs that are positively related to the two outcomes under scrutiny.

Keywords: Governance, voluntary environmental programs, governance performance, urban sustainability, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA)

Suggested Citation

van der Heijden, Jeroen, The Role of Government in Voluntary Environmental Programs: A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) (2014). Forthcoming in Public Administration, RegNet Research Paper No. 2014/57, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535620 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2535620

Jeroen Van der Heijden (Contact Author)

Victoria University of Wellington, School of Government ( email )

PO Box 600
Wellington 6140
New Zealand

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.victoria.ac.nz/sog/about/staff/jeroen-vanderheijden

Australian National University, School of Regulation & Global Governance (RegNet) ( email )

Australian National University
Building #8
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

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