Creating legitimacy for a multi-stakeholder initiative within the UN global governance of sustainable development
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2012-07
Author(s)
Abstract
As a new organizational form in the highly institutionalized setting of UN governance processes on sustainable development, multi-stakeholder collaboration is in need of legitimization. This study looks at how the collaborating stakeholders create legitimacy for their multi-stakeholder collaboration through the ways they position the collaboration within the domain of the UN governance processes. It is proposed that establishing and maintaining legitimacy involves the continuous creation of connectedness and distinctiveness and the juggling of the tension between these countervailing tendencies. Five different modes of how the stakeholders position their collaborative initiative as legitimate are identified.
Language
English
Keywords
Multi-party collaboration
legitimizing processes
sustainability
societal change
paradoxical tensions
discourse analysis
interpretative repertoires
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SEPS - Global Democratic Governance
Event Title
19th Annual Conference on Multi-Organisational Partnerships, Alliances and Networks (Track “Stakeholder involvement in the United Nations”)
Event Location
Wageningen University, NL
Event Date
July 2nd -4th, 2012
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
249301