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RA23WP 2016 RP Modular Governance Architecture.pdf (748.93 kB)

A modular governance architecture in-the-making: how transnational standard-setters govern sustainability transitions

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 06:45 authored by Stephan ManningStephan Manning, Juliane Reinecke
Sustainability transitions have been studied as complex multi-level processes, but we still know relatively little about how they can be effectively governed, especially in transnational domains. Governance of transitions is often constrained by the equivocality of sustainability goals, the idiosyncrasy of niche experiments and the multiplicity of governance actors and interests. We study the role of transnational standard-setters in mitigating these challenges and governing sustainability transitions within a transnational sector. Our case is the global coffee sector where ‘sustainability standards’ are increasingly being adopted. We find that the emergence of a ‘modular governance architecture’ has helped diverse and heterogeneous actors turn sustainability from an ambiguous concept into a concrete set of semi-independent practices, while mitigating governance complexity. We show how standard-setters create governance modules through local niche experimentation, negotiate and legitimate their content with peers across local contexts, and re-integrate them into an emerging architecture. Our findings shed light on the role of modular processes in managing sustainability transitions and transnational governance, and the dynamics of meaning-making in this process.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Research Policy

ISSN

0048-7333

Publisher

Research Policy

Issue

3

Volume

45

Page range

618-633

Department affiliated with

  • Business and Management Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-09-24

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-09-24

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-09-24

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