Multi-stakeholder governance of the commons, a pragmatic approach

The question of the governance is central for the commons. They have to compose with the different logics of multiple stakeholders within a horizontal governance. The good governance of the commons relies on problem solving devices and discussion settlements. They may be seen as hybrid organizations, a promising way of organizing, yet experiencing intense internal conflicts. This chapter proposes a theoretical contribution that underlines the relevancy of a pragmatist approach to understand the governance of the commons. Stakeholder governance is defined by the literature, yet its theoretical settlements remain plural. Beyond a contractual approach, a pragmatic point of view renews the foundation of stakeholder approach by suggesting to take into account experience and social interaction. After explaining the main features of pragmatism, and especially the concept of inquiry, we highlight the implications of this approach as regards to stakeholder management. The pragmatic shift appears as an interesting approach to keep pace with the shift in paradigm observed in the cooperation between public economy and social economy for the development of commons and public goods.