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Self-legitimation in multistakeholder global governance: Discursive and institutional practices in the Internet Coporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and Fairtrade International

Hollett, Lucy Laurence LU (2025) SIMZ11 20251
Graduate School
Abstract
As multistakeholder institutions become increasingly central to global governance, questions of how these hybrid organizations establish and maintain legitimacy have gained growing academic attention. This thesis conducts a systematic comparative analysis of the self-legitimation practices of two prominent multistakeholder initiatives: Fairtrade International and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Drawing on a sociological understanding of legitimation and informed by normative considerations, the study examines both discursive and institutional practices using qualitative content analysis of annual reports and strategic documents from 2014 to 2023. The analysis reveals different legitimation logics: ICANN... (More)
As multistakeholder institutions become increasingly central to global governance, questions of how these hybrid organizations establish and maintain legitimacy have gained growing academic attention. This thesis conducts a systematic comparative analysis of the self-legitimation practices of two prominent multistakeholder initiatives: Fairtrade International and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Drawing on a sociological understanding of legitimation and informed by normative considerations, the study examines both discursive and institutional practices using qualitative content analysis of annual reports and strategic documents from 2014 to 2023. The analysis reveals different legitimation logics: ICANN emphasizes technocratic performance and procedural transparency consistent with its role as a technical governance body, while Fairtrade leans on justice rhetoric, participatory discourse, and normative alignment with global values such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite these contrasts, both institutions engage in overlapping legitimation strategies, such as the strategic use of partnerships and technocratic framing. These findings suggest that legitimation practices are not only shaped by institutional design but also deeply influenced by the policy field in which organizations operate. This study contributes to ongoing debates about the legitimation practices and justifications of multistakeholder governance. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hollett, Lucy Laurence LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMZ11 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Multistakeholder initiatives, Fairtrade, ICANN, Legitimation
language
English
id
9192879
date added to LUP
2025-06-27 12:47:43
date last changed
2025-06-27 12:47:43
@misc{9192879,
  abstract     = {{As multistakeholder institutions become increasingly central to global governance, questions of how these hybrid organizations establish and maintain legitimacy have gained growing academic attention. This thesis conducts a systematic comparative analysis of the self-legitimation practices of two prominent multistakeholder initiatives: Fairtrade International and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Drawing on a sociological understanding of legitimation and informed by normative considerations, the study examines both discursive and institutional practices using qualitative content analysis of annual reports and strategic documents from 2014 to 2023. The analysis reveals different legitimation logics: ICANN emphasizes technocratic performance and procedural transparency consistent with its role as a technical governance body, while Fairtrade leans on justice rhetoric, participatory discourse, and normative alignment with global values such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite these contrasts, both institutions engage in overlapping legitimation strategies, such as the strategic use of partnerships and technocratic framing. These findings suggest that legitimation practices are not only shaped by institutional design but also deeply influenced by the policy field in which organizations operate. This study contributes to ongoing debates about the legitimation practices and justifications of multistakeholder governance.}},
  author       = {{Hollett, Lucy Laurence}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Self-legitimation in multistakeholder global governance: Discursive and institutional practices in the Internet Coporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and Fairtrade International}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}