Hybridity of Accountability Logics in Voluntary Sustainability Governance : The Case of Commitment 2050
(2026) In Regulation and Governance- Abstract
Governance of sustainable development increasingly relies on voluntary standards and commitments, the credibility and effectiveness of which hinge on accountability—ensuring actors align with shared goals and follow through on them. However, voluntary initiatives operate outside traditional control structures and blend elements of state, market, and community governance. This study examines how accountability is constructed and practiced through the lens of accountability logics. Using Finland's Commitment 2050 platform as a case, it analyzes how bureau–legal, economic–managerialist, and community logics shape the motivations, standards, processes, and consequences of account-giving. The findings indicate that commitment-based... (More)
Governance of sustainable development increasingly relies on voluntary standards and commitments, the credibility and effectiveness of which hinge on accountability—ensuring actors align with shared goals and follow through on them. However, voluntary initiatives operate outside traditional control structures and blend elements of state, market, and community governance. This study examines how accountability is constructed and practiced through the lens of accountability logics. Using Finland's Commitment 2050 platform as a case, it analyzes how bureau–legal, economic–managerialist, and community logics shape the motivations, standards, processes, and consequences of account-giving. The findings indicate that commitment-based accountability emerges from the shifting and often uneven balance between these logics. While Commitment 2050 fosters multiple motivations and relations, accountability remains largely unrewarded and unsanctioned. This flexibility can broaden participation but weaken effectiveness and legitimacy. Future studies should examine how logic configurations evolve and how voluntary initiatives can achieve credible flexibility.
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- author
- Vikstedt, Elina ; Penttilä, Visa ; Welinder, Olga LU and Vakkuri, Jarmo
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- accountability, hybrid governance, institutional logics, sustainable development, voluntary sustainability standards and commitments
- in
- Regulation and Governance
- publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105035415512
- ISSN
- 1748-5983
- DOI
- 10.1111/rego.70165
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 39c9464b-90c3-4570-91b0-25bb53403bb6
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-21 14:28:16
- date last changed
- 2026-05-21 14:29:28
@article{39c9464b-90c3-4570-91b0-25bb53403bb6,
abstract = {{<p>Governance of sustainable development increasingly relies on voluntary standards and commitments, the credibility and effectiveness of which hinge on accountability—ensuring actors align with shared goals and follow through on them. However, voluntary initiatives operate outside traditional control structures and blend elements of state, market, and community governance. This study examines how accountability is constructed and practiced through the lens of accountability logics. Using Finland's Commitment 2050 platform as a case, it analyzes how bureau–legal, economic–managerialist, and community logics shape the motivations, standards, processes, and consequences of account-giving. The findings indicate that commitment-based accountability emerges from the shifting and often uneven balance between these logics. While Commitment 2050 fosters multiple motivations and relations, accountability remains largely unrewarded and unsanctioned. This flexibility can broaden participation but weaken effectiveness and legitimacy. Future studies should examine how logic configurations evolve and how voluntary initiatives can achieve credible flexibility.</p>}},
author = {{Vikstedt, Elina and Penttilä, Visa and Welinder, Olga and Vakkuri, Jarmo}},
issn = {{1748-5983}},
keywords = {{accountability; hybrid governance; institutional logics; sustainable development; voluntary sustainability standards and commitments}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
series = {{Regulation and Governance}},
title = {{Hybridity of Accountability Logics in Voluntary Sustainability Governance : The Case of Commitment 2050}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rego.70165}},
doi = {{10.1111/rego.70165}},
year = {{2026}},
}