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Legitimizing Inter-Organizational Relations

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Palgrave Handbook of Inter-Organizational Relations in World Politics

Abstract

This chapter tries to understand legitimation processes among international organizations. After conceptualizing legitimacy and legitimation in general and the legitimation of international organizations in particular, it focuses on processes of (de-)legitimation among organizations. Organizations constantly engage in activities to gain, maintain, and repair their own legitimacy. However, environmental constraints shape their legitimacy. Within their environment, struggles over legitimacy based on disputed legitimacy criteria and assessments abound. Other organizations are part of this environment. They hold resources deemed essential for task accomplishment and compete for the same mandates and tasks in dense institutional spaces. Thus, both their very activities and the cooperation with them impact an organization’s legitimacy. The chapter argues that legitimacy concerns are therefore a major factor driving the willingness to cooperate among organizations. Organizations strive to connect to legitimate others and disconnect from illegitimate others, which impacts partner selection, tie strength, and resource exchange. The chapter concludes with substantial and methodological recommendations for future research.

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  1. Institute for Political Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Carl-Zeiss-Str. 3, Jena, 07743, Germany

    Rafael Biermann

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  1. Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany

    Joachim A. Koops

  2. Vesalius College, Brussels, Belgium

    Rafael Biermann

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Biermann, R. (2017). Legitimizing Inter-Organizational Relations. In: Koops, J., Biermann, R. (eds) Palgrave Handbook of Inter-Organizational Relations in World Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-36039-7_16

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