[Reseach Seminar] ICOR: Out of Sight, Out of Mind – How Visibility Dynamics Influence the MSI Legitimacy Formation
Speaker: Johanna JARVELA
IÉSEG
Date and Location – Friday, April 26th 2024 from 2pm to 3:30pm
in Paris campus (P400) and on Zoom
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ABSTRACT
This paper delves into the intricate dynamics of visibility and legitimacy within multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs), emphasizing their role as symbols of corporate transparency and governance. While existing literature highlights the successful development and institutionalization of standards within MSIs, the paper addresses a critical gap by examining why certain standards fail to achieve legitimacy. Through a longitudinal case study of an MSI in the Finnish mining industry, the paper scrutinizes the invisibility dynamics in MSI legitimacy-seeking behavior. By analyzing interviews, media materials, and progress reports, the study reveals how choices regarding visibility within the MSI led to its eventual downfall. The findings underscore the significance of MSI organization’s control and competing regulatory efforts shaping MSI legitimacy outcomes. The study then contributes to discussions on private-public regulatory efforts and dispositions of MSI members.