Die Gruppenpolitik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums: Versteckte Kosten?

summary Rural Development Group Politics: A Hidden Cost? I challenge the popular notion of European rural development group dynamics and argue for a better understanding of the role of micro‐politics as a means of enhancing the performance of these groups. The views are research based and have relevance to the broader rural development and regeneration sector. Micro‐politics involves knowledge, power, trust, perceptions, understanding, social networks, values and traits that arise as a result of individuals interacting within a group whilst working on a shared goal, such as rural development. The monetary and time costs to a community of failing to address micro‐politics and nurture positive group relations are considerable. These include time spent in unproductive meetings and poorly prioritized—and ultimately unsuccessful—funding applications as a result of failure to agree priorities. Successful groups rely on individuals interacting in a way that achieves a greater social good. Mutual trust amongst the actors lies at the heart of effective group activity. Effective management of micro‐politics requires steps to nurture a culture of mutual trust to ensure that rural development actors co‐operate rather than play destructive games with one another. A case study example of a relatively straightforward approach illustrates how this might be done in practice.