| Abstract: | A growing body of research recommends interaction between managers and stakeholders to improve natural resource management decisions. While formative stakeholder research and summative evaluations of communication efforts have been well-studied, less research has included formative evaluations comparing managers and stakeholders to inform communication efforts. This study applies the communication concept of coorientation to the case of deer management on open-space lands owned by Cornell University and develops an approach to coorientation analysis for use with small decision-making teams. Mail surveys were used to assess the level of agreement and accuracy between decision makers and residents of nearby communities. Decision makers and residents varied in the topics for which they accurately predicted each other's responses; these differences have implications for approaches to communication. This study also illustrates the utility of coorientation research to reveal areas of difference within the decision-making team, as well as with the public. |
