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Contestation in Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives: Enhancing the Democratic Quality of Transnational Governance

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  • Arenas, Daniel
  • Albareda, Laura
  • Goodman, Jennifer

Abstract

This article studies multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) as spaces for both deliberation and contestation between constituencies with competing discourses and disputed values, beliefs, and preferences. We review different theoretical perspectives on MSIs, which see them mainly as spaces to find solutions to market problems (economic approach), as spaces of conflict and bargaining (political approach), or as spaces of consensus (deliberative approach). In contrast, we build on a contestatory deliberative perspective, which gives equal value to both contestation and consensus. We identify four types of internal contestation which can be present in MSIs—procedural, inclusiveness, epistemic, and ultimate-goal—and argue that embracing contestation and engaging in ongoing revision of provisional agreements, criteria, and goals can enhance the democratic quality of MSIs. Finally, we explore the implications of this perspective for theorizing about the democratic quality in MSIs and about the role of corporations in transnational governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Arenas, Daniel & Albareda, Laura & Goodman, Jennifer, 2020. "Contestation in Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives: Enhancing the Democratic Quality of Transnational Governance," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 30(2), pages 169-199, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:30:y:2020:i:2:p:169-199_1
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    Cited by:

    1. Verena Bitzer & Alessia Marazzi, 2021. "Southern sustainability initiatives in agricultural value chains: a question of enhanced inclusiveness? The case of Trustea in India," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(2), pages 381-395, June.
    2. Huw Thomas & Mark Anner, 2023. "Dissensus and Deadlock in the Evolution of Labour Governance: Global Supply Chains and the International Labour Organization (ILO)," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(1), pages 33-49, April.
    3. Leopoldo Gutierrez & Ivan Montiel & Jordi A. Surroca & Josep A. Tribo, 2022. "Rainbow Wash or Rainbow Revolution? Dynamic Stakeholder Engagement for SDG-Driven Responsible Innovation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(4), pages 1113-1136, November.
    4. Kelly Gerard, 2023. "Doing aid chains differently: Evaluating the potential of Multi‐Stakeholder Partnerships," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(1), January.
    5. Josep F. Mària & Jennifer Goodman, 2023. "Conflicts in the framing of conflicts: The case of community investment in a mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(5), pages 671-687, July.
    6. Janina Grabs & Rachael D. Garrett, 2023. "Goal-Based Private Sustainability Governance and Its Paradoxes in the Indonesian Palm Oil Sector," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(3), pages 467-507, December.
    7. Jennifer Goodman & Jukka Mäkinen, 2022. "Democracy in Political Corporate Social Responsibility: A Dynamic, Multilevel Account," Post-Print hal-04002327, HAL.
    8. Lucie Baudoin & Daniel Arenas, 2023. "“Everyone Has a Truth”: Forms of Ecological Embeddedness in an Interorganizational Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(2), pages 263-280, June.
    9. Rajiv Maher, 2022. "Deliberating or Stalling for Justice? Dynamics of Corporate Remediation and Victim Resistance Through the Lens of Parentalism: The Fundão dam Collapse and the Renova Foundation in Brazil," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 15-36, June.
    10. Roland W. Scholz & Gerald Steiner, 2022. "The role of transdisciplinarity for mineral economics and mineral resource management: coping with fallacies related to phosphorus in science and practice," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 35(3), pages 745-763, December.
    11. Manon Eikelenboom & Thomas B. Long, 2023. "Breaking the Cycle of Marginalization: How to Involve Local Communities in Multi-stakeholder Initiatives?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 31-62, August.
    12. Julia Grimm & Rebecca C. Ruehle & Juliane Reinecke, 2024. "Building Common Ground: How Facilitators Bridge Between Diverging Groups in Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 194(3), pages 583-608, October.

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