Revisiting the Standard Organization of Multi-stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs): The Case of a Meta-MSI in Southeast Asia

This thesis examines how the organization of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) as metaorganizations (MOs) influences their governance processes and impacts. Overall, the thesis contributes to the literature on MSIs by proposing the concept of a “meta-MSI” by contrasting the organization of this type of MSI with the standard organization of MSIs in the private governance (PG) literature. Furthermore, this concept contributes to our understanding of how and why some MSIs may provide different governance processes and impacts. I do so, by drawing on the concept of meta-organization (organizations of organizations) and extending it to the context of MSIs (rule-setting organizations). Specifically, I explore three themes of “meta-ness,” including context, membership and regulatory role. The thesis primarily focuses on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) issue of anti-corruption.

The thesis draws on the empirical case of an MSI that focuses on anti-corruption, the ASEAN CSR Network (2011) and its Working Group on Business Integrity (2014). It is headquartered in Singapore and is comprised of one regional– and seven national CSR member organizations. These organizations (business associations, multi-stakeholder initiatives and corporate and non-profit foundations) are designated representatives of the individual member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or regional ASEAN representatives. International civil society and intergovernmental partners support the organization. The data underpinning the papers and overall thesis is comprised of desk research, qualitative semi-structured interviews and observations which were conducted in the field during research stays in Singapore and Thailand.