当前课程知识点:Socially-Responsible Real Estate Development: Learning to Use Impact Assessment Tools Effectively > Module 4: Case Study: Forest City > Readings > Dealing with An Angry Public
Why do members of the public often react with anger to proposed developments or policies, and how can decision makers best anticipate and respond to these concerns?
These two excerpts (pages 15-20 and 37- 42) from Dealing with an Angry Public: The Mutual Gains Approach to Resolving Disputes, which I co-wrote with Patrick Field, explains why angry reactions are entirely rational, and how it is in the best interests of project proponents to treat them seriously and sensitively. It then offers some principles to guide an alternative decision-making approach based on ‘mutual-gains,’ which is likely to result in more productive outcomes than simply ignoring or downplaying people’s concerns.
We define anger as "a defensive response to pain or the threat of pain, real or perceived" (p. 16) and suggest that people will often respond in this way when they have been hurt, feel threatened by risks imposed by others, or feel that their fundamental beliefs have been challenged. These responses are intensified by perceptions of powerlessness, unfairness, or being lied to.
Rather than dismissing such responses as irrational or offensive, we argue that decision makers should engage with these concerns and try to understand the causes underlying them. We propose a six principles for implementing a ‘mutual gains’ approach for engaging with these concerns in a productive manner.
Most developers will need to work with stakeholders who are sometimes frustrated or angry. In the case of Forest City, several local stakeholders, including fishermen and environmentalists, were concerned and angry about the potential impacts of the development on the surrounding environment. Handling these interactions in a way that seriously addresses stakeholder interests can help create positive outcomes. This is an important part of socially responsible real estate development.
Reflection questions:
1. Can you identify examples from your own experience (including news reports you have read) of decision makers who responded poorly to an angry public? Do these experiences align well with the reasons for anger described by Susskind and Field?
2. What are the main pressures or incentives that make it harder for well-intentioned decision makers or project developers to pursue a mutual gains approach to engaging the public?
3. How well did Country Garden recognize local groups’ concerns in the Forest City case?
4. What might they do differently if they attempt a similar project somewhere else in the future?
Dealing with an Angry Public: The Mutual Gains Approach to Resolving Disputes
-Welcome
--Welcome
-Course Welcome
--Welcome
-Entrance Survey
-Entrance Survey
-Learning Objectives
-Course Schedule
-Meet Your Course Instructors
-Grading and Completion Criteria
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-Introduction
-Lectures
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-Readings
--Social Impact Assessment: The State of the Art
--Social Impact Assessment and Public Participation in China
-Developer Interview
--Module 1
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-Questions
-Assignment
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--Peer Assessment
-Debrief
--Discuss
-Introduction
-Lectures
-Readings
--Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment
--Public Participation and Environmental Dispute Resolution
--Environmental Impact Assessment for Developing Countries in Asia
--Importance of Nonobjective Judgements
--Example Environmental Impact Statement
-Developer Interview
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--Module 2
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-Questions
-Assignment
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--Peer Assessment
-Debrief
--Discuss
-Introduction
--Text
-Lectures
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-Readings
--Introduction to Social Impact Assessment
--Effectiveness in Social Impact Assessment
--Example Social Impact Statement
-Developer Interview
--Video
--Text
-Questions
-Assignment
-Debrief
--Discuss
-Introduction
--Text
-Forest City Case Study
--Part 1
--Part 2
--Part 3
--Additional Forest City Information
-Lectures
-Readings
--Dealing with An Angry Public
--Facility Siting and Public Opposition
-Developer Interview
--Module 4
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-Questions
-Assignment
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--SCENARIO
-Debrief
--Discuss
-Introduction
-Lectures
-Readings
--Why Would Corporations Behave in Socially Responsible Ways?
--Social Impact Assessments of Large Dams Throughout the World
--Environmental Sustainability Principles for the Real Estate Industry
-Developer Interview
--Module 5
-Questions
-Assignment
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--SCENARIO
-Debrief
-Further Resources
-Thank You
--Thank you for taking the course
-Acknowledgements