Regulating side by side: The role of hybrid organisations in transnational environmental sustainability

Abstract

We have witnessed a rise of hybrid regulators in transnational governance, and the regimes they form have grown in number, complexity, and importance. They are directly involved in rule making, provide crucial information, and conduct supportive tasks, such as arbitration, certification, or mobilisation, to other rule makers. In our paper, we examine the complex organisational ecology in the transnational governance regime of environmental sustainability, including public, commercial, and civil-society interests. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between the level of hybridisation of regulatory bodies and their degree of specialisation. The analysis of a medium number of cases shows that highly hybridised bodies tend to endorse a bundling role whereas weakly hybridised organisations mostly function as focussing bodies specialising in a very limited number of regulatory tasks. These insights help to understand the evolution of regulatory governance while pointing out the advantages and limitations of this form of transnational governance for the management of complex and interdependent issues such as sustainability.

Conceptual framework for increasing legitimacy and trust of sustainability governance

“…Hybrid systems emerged in a national context [ 147 , 164 ] but have proven especially useful for the purpose of international trade and associated transnational governance [ 167 ] that are embedded in and supported by other modes of governance [ 168 ]. Transnational governance may be described as modes of governance, which “structures, guides and controls human and social activities and interactions beyond, across and within national territories” [ 168 ].…”

“…Transnational governance may be described as modes of governance, which “structures, guides and controls human and social activities and interactions beyond, across and within national territories” [ 168 ]. The emergence of such structures is seen as a sign that no single actor can address the multiple facets and interdependencies of environmental or social problems arising as a consequence of international trade with transboundary sustainability impacts [ 136 , 167 ]. Cashore [ 66 ] suggests that an advantage accrues where an actor brings their own strength, for example, the assumed efficiency of a private firm, the knowledge base and social trust of an NGO, or the democratic legitimacy of a state actor.…”

“…Cashore [ 66 ] suggests that an advantage accrues where an actor brings their own strength, for example, the assumed efficiency of a private firm, the knowledge base and social trust of an NGO, or the democratic legitimacy of a state actor. Similarly, Ewert and Maggetti [ 167 ] conclude that hybrid agents allow organisations to gather the competencies required in each case for the most efficient and effective approach to govern sustainability along the entire supply chain.…”

EU science diplomacy in a contested space of multi-level governance: Ambitions, constraints and options for action

“…With regard to this inter-level interaction, a commonly accepted way of avoiding conflicts over jurisdiction in areas of Type II governance is to establish organizational entities that balance and coordinate diverging interests (Ewert and Maggetti, 2017;Hooghe and Marks, 2003). For instance, a process analogous to the open method of coordination (OMC) could be a way to reach alignment of national and EC objectives, interests, and methods in SD (see also Kaiser and Prange, 2004;Kerber and Eckardt, 2007).…”

Introduction to the Special Issue: Public and Private Labor Standards Policy in the Global Economy

“…And established public regulations supporting social standards – including generous welfare states that redistribute and mitigate labor‐market risks – may foster private regulation or support for private regulation (Gjølberg, ; Ioannou and Serafeim, ; Midttun et al., ; cf. Ewert and Maggetti, ). More generally, indeed, ex ante regulation in one realm can embolden activity in the other.…”