## 5 Results: The Roles of ICT in Collective Action
### Building New Management Practices  
The combination of real-time vessel tracking and the utilization of a cruise database builds new sustainable management practices through the sharing of strategic and operational information and flexible management practices (see Figure 3). Shared information enables the coordination of activities on tourism sites and ensures an activity level at, or even below, the predefined carrying capacity of the individual landing sites. New practices are developed as a result of the use of ICT, for example, the booking of landing sites and sharing the information with other AECO members, who often are competitors. Moreover, the use of ICT enables in situ interaction and communication between operators, which enables new practices of managing tourism sites that reduce uncertainty. An example are ad hoc changes to the initial cruise itineraries, which are common because, as research participant 2 explains,  
_\"Changes can happen due to different reasons. Ice can be one reason. Another reason can be that the expedition leader can get fired of traveling to this place and finds out that they can visit another site. It can be that easy. But according to the agreement between [AECO] members, one shall take  
Figure 2: The roles of information and communication technology (ICT) in collective action.  
into consideration the plans of other operators. If they change the plans, they first have to check the cruise database that no one else has booked the place. And then they need to make contact or send a message to those that are close by\" (translated from Norwegian)._  
New management practices related to ICT use are developed through the utilization of social capital. AECO possesses high levels of social capital, evidenced by close ties and frequent communication between members, the willingness to cooperate and shared norms. Social relationships within AECO were especially crucial in adopting and using ICT. High levels of social capital allow a network to apply ICT tools more easily and to adjust its norms accordingly. At the same time, technology reshapes social capital as ICT use forces the modification of existing normative structures. Those norms are comprised of internal regulations, such as obligations for using ICT systems and other common routines, which are socially agreed upon and accepted in the network. New norms had been created in the studied network resulting in certain practices, in particular to ensure flexibility in response to the dynamic Arctic conditions, to maintain activity levels that do not exceed the carrying capacity of individual sites, and to increase the quality of expedition tourism products. ICT facilitates the establishment and adoption of new norms and allows network members to adjust them to changing conditions by easier and faster communication, information exchange, and access to data.  
However, ICT can also negatively affect collective action as it is not always reliable in harsh Arctic conditions. The network facilitates operational flexibility, provided formal and informal communication work efficiently and effectively. Using ICT elsewhere and relying on it during Arctic operations may also create complacency with regard to a lack of back-up plans if ICT fails or raise the level of expectation among operators that it will always be available. If limited bandwidth or adverse environmental conditions cause ICT to be unavailable, the network's reliance on ICT may hamper its collective actions.