The Participation of Intergovernmental Organizations in Transnational Public-Private Governance Initiatives

This paper provides the first systematic investigation of the participation of intergovernmental organizations
(IGOs) in transnational public-private governance initiatives (TGIs). In TGIs, IGOs cooperate
with governments, business, and civil society organizations to address global or transnational problems.
However, not all IGOs become involved in TGIs, and those who do participate vary in the extent
of their involvement as well as the types of initiatives they join. Using the Transnational Public-Private
Governance Initiatives in World Politics Data, I empirically map the variation of IGO involvement in
636 TGIs created in the period between 1885 and 2017. I develop theoretical explanations for the
observed variation and empirically probe the explanatory power of these arguments using statistical
analysis on a dataset of IGO-TGI dyads. I find that factors at the IGO, TGI, and dyadic level shape
whether IGOs become involved in transnational governance initiatives. My findings provide an important
empirical basis for advancing research on IGO orchestration, inter-organizational relations in
global governance, and regime complexity.