TY - JOUR

T1 - Social licence: power imbalances and levels of consciousness – two case studies

AU - Hitch, Michael

AU - Lytle, Murray

AU - Tost, Michael

PY - 2018/12/5

Y1 - 2018/12/5

N2 - Social licence to operate (SLO) is a term that is finding increasing acceptancein a number of industries. Like all new terms, its precise meaning andimplications are still being investigated. Using data from previous studies,this paper offers an analysis of the SLO of two case studies with each studybeing viewed separately through the grid of a distinct theoretical framework.Case study 1 looks at the development of differential social licence negotiatedin the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, as a result of an impact andbenefit agreement negotiated between Tahera Diamond Corp. and theKitikmeot Inuit Organisation in 2004. The study demonstrates that generalacceptance of resource development can be uneven and reflect an unequaldistribution of decision-making power. In case study 2, stakeholders of afailed mineral development project were queried across time about thespecifics of the proposed mine development and were queried aboutresource development across different levels of consciousness. Perhaps,SLO is variable across different levels of consciousness. The paper concludeswith observations about the variable nature of SLO acceptance across populationsand across levels of consciousness within individuals. Perhaps, theconcept of SLO is, in fact, complex, difficult to define andmeasure and, at thispoint, of limited utility as a measure of resource development acceptance.

AB - Social licence to operate (SLO) is a term that is finding increasing acceptancein a number of industries. Like all new terms, its precise meaning andimplications are still being investigated. Using data from previous studies,this paper offers an analysis of the SLO of two case studies with each studybeing viewed separately through the grid of a distinct theoretical framework.Case study 1 looks at the development of differential social licence negotiatedin the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, as a result of an impact andbenefit agreement negotiated between Tahera Diamond Corp. and theKitikmeot Inuit Organisation in 2004. The study demonstrates that generalacceptance of resource development can be uneven and reflect an unequaldistribution of decision-making power. In case study 2, stakeholders of afailed mineral development project were queried across time about thespecifics of the proposed mine development and were queried aboutresource development across different levels of consciousness. Perhaps,SLO is variable across different levels of consciousness. The paper concludeswith observations about the variable nature of SLO acceptance across populationsand across levels of consciousness within individuals. Perhaps, theconcept of SLO is, in fact, complex, difficult to define andmeasure and, at thispoint, of limited utility as a measure of resource development acceptance.

U2 - 10.1080/17480930.2018.1530582

DO - 10.1080/17480930.2018.1530582

M3 - Article

VL - 2018

JO - International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment

JF - International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment

SN - 1748-0930

ER -