INGO's Strategies of Enhancing Global Governance Influence and Implications for China：Multiple Case Studies from SDG Advocacy

• In Event: Civic Participation and Co-creation of Governance

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate effective strategies that can transform organizational capabilities into influence in the process of international non-governmental organizations' (INGOs) participation in global governance and to provide theoretical explanations for INGOs to acquire and enhance their influence in global governance through dynamical capacity theoretical perspective. This study is motivated by the new challenges currently faced by many Chinese social organizations that have obtained or are seeking consultative status with the United Nations. However, their overall influence within the global governance mechanism, represented by the UN negotiation mechanism, remains weak (Ma, 2022). On the other hand, many INGOs actively engaged in the global governance arena, possess not only strong internal capacities but also exert significant influence in global governance (Henry et al., 2023). Previous studies have shown that the influence exerted by NGOs is determined by internal characteristics, the external environment, and the specific issues in which they are involved. The capacity of NGOs, including internal organizational characteristics, the ability to integrate and align internal and external resources, and the enhancement of adaptation to the external environment, significantly impacts the influence gained by NGOs (Heiss & Johnson, 2016).

In this study, four INGOs originating from the UK, US, and China, which have been granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and primarily focus on the SDG agenda, were selected as case studies. A multi-case comparative research methodology (Eisenhardt, 1989) was adopted to analyze materials obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with the chief officers of these organizations, as well as organization's annual reports and news press from their official website and social media platforms. This paper initially proposes four effective strategies for INGOs to enhance their influence in global governance: Firstly, the process of reaching consensus at multiple levels within an organization can be transformed into the process of "creating consensus" for global governance mechanisms. Secondly, by engaging in collaborative networks and sharing resources, INGOs can contribute to the industry ecosystem of global governance advocacy. This also helps the organization identify its ecological position in the sector, guiding the appropriate allocation of resources. Thirdly, the organization should prioritize the establishment and strengthening of its knowledge and information base, particularly by incorporating frontline experiences from the community and irreplaceable professional expertise. Fourthly, the organization should dynamically adapt its cognitive model of global governance advocacy to align with its organizational behavioral model.

References

Corell, Elisabeth, and Michele M. Betsill. "Analytical framework: Assessing the influence of NGO diplomats." NGO diplomacy: The influence of nongovernmental organizations in international environmental negotiations, 2008, 19-42.
Eisenhardt, K. M. “Building theories from case study research”. Academy of management review, 1989, 14(4), 532-550
Henry, Laura A., et al. "NGO participation in global governance institutions: International and domestic drivers of engagement." Advocacy Group Effects in Global Governance: Populations, Strategies, and Political Opportunity Structures. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023, 71-119.
Heiss, Andrew, and Tana Johnson. "Internal, interactive, and institutional factors: A unified framework for understanding international nongovernmental organizations." ,2016, 528-541.
Ma, Qingyu, “Advantages and Opportunities for Chinese NGO to Participate in Global Govern

Authors

• Fang Nan, Institute of the Comprehensive Social Governance, Beijing Academy of Social Science

• Guosheng Deng, Tsinghua University

• Shanshan Guan, Beijing University of Technology