Exploring the effect of procedural fairness on the social license to operate of resource development projects: A meta-analysis

Research indicates that fairness in procedures plays a crucial role in how positively communities view resource development projects. This study conducts a meta-analysis, which involves analyzing existing research findings on this topic, to investigate the impact of procedural fairness on community acceptance of such projects, known as the Social License to Operate (SLO). The analysis pools data from 10 separate studies published between 2008 and 2022. The results reveal two main points: firstly, ensuring fairness in procedures significantly enhances community acceptance of resource development projects; secondly, the level of economic development in a country influences how procedural fairness affects SLO, with differences observed between developed and developing countries. However, the type of industry, whether mining or non-mining, does not significantly alter this effect. These findings contribute significantly to our understanding of how procedural fairness relates to SLO and offer guidance to resource development companies. By prioritizing fairness in procedures, these companies can potentially improve their chances of gaining community acceptance for their projects.