530
Arctic Yearbook 2014
Table 1. Four factors constituting three levels of SLO (after Thomson & Boutilier 2011) (Williams &
Walton, 2013: 9)
Level and Label
Description
Role in Determining SLO
Levels as Described in
Thomson
&
Boutilier
Pyramid Model
1. Economic legitimacy
The perception that the If lacking, most stakeholders
project/company offers a will withhold or withdraw the
benefit to the perceiver
SLO. If present, many will
grant an acceptance level of
SLO
2a. Socio-political legitimacy
The perception that the
project/company contributes
to the wellbeing of the region,
respects the local way of life,
meets expectations about its
role in society, and acts
according to stakeholders’
views of fairness
If lacking, approval level of
SLO is less likely. If both this
and interactional trust (2a &
2b) are lacking, approval level
is rarely granted by any
stakeholder
2b. Interactional trust
The perception that the
company and its management
listens,
responds,
keeps
promises, engages in mutual
dialogue,
and
exhibits
reciprocity in its interactions
If lacking, approval level of
SLO is less likely. If both this
and socio-political legitimacy
(2a & 2b) are lacking, approval
level is rarely granted
3. Institutionalized trust
The perception that relations
between the stakeholders’
institutions
(e.g.,
the
community’s
representative
organizations)
and
the
project/ company are based
on an enduring regard for
each other’s interests
If
lacking,
psychological
identification is unlikely. If
lacking but both sociopolitical
legitimacy
and
interactional trust are present
(2a & 2b), most stakeholders
will grant approval level of
SLO
The concept of an informal social license is “comfortably compatible with legal norms in the
countries that operate under the principles of common law” (Thomson & Boutilier 2011: 1780).
However, in the countries with legislatures operating under the principles of civil law (i.e.
Finland, Russia, Norway, and Sweden) “the concept runs into difficulties” (ibid). The difficulties
are related to the legal norms in these countries which constitute that only the official authorities
can grant a license and, thus, many companies equate the license with formal permission to
operate.
The SLO concept as well as different aspects of its practical use attracted high interest among
scholars in many countries during the last years, especially in Australia, Canada and Finland.
Beside the authors we have already referred to, see, for example, Kokko et.al. 2014; Lacey et.al.
Riabova & Didyk