86 research outputs found
Capturing the Inclusiveness and Unintended Effects of Governance
1\. Introduction 2\. Governance for (and against) whom? Gaps in the governance
literature 3\. Different qualities and “unintended” effects of governance –
toward an analytical framework 3.1 Inclusiveness of governance contributions
3.2 Unintended effects of governance 3.3 Negative externalities of core
business practices 4\. The quality of governance in light of different
collectivities 5\. ConclusionResearch on governance by external non-state actors in areas of limited
statehood concentrates on the conditions under which these actors engage in
governance. However, this literature largely ignores findings from research on
the anthropology of development, the privatization of security, and non-state
welfare provision in developing countries that point to the limitations and
negative effects of governance by non-state actors. Hence there are many
reasons to distinguish carefully between different qualities of governance
contributions and the (unintended) effects of external actors’ practices. This
paper deals with the quality of governance in that it suggests an analytical
framework for distinguishing different qualities along three dimensions:
inclusiveness, the indirect effects of governance, and the external effects of
non-governance practices. Empirically, the paper focuses on multinational
companies in sub-Saharan Africa. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the
literature on business and governance noticeably isolates the positive
contributions by firms from the negative effects of business activities in
areas of limited statehood. Secondly, the case of companies – actors that do
not aim at contributing to governance in the first place – clearly illustrates
the added value of distinguishing different qualities of governance
contributions. This is also relevant, however, for other governance actors.Die Forschung zu Governance durch externe, nichtstaatliche Akteure in Räumen
begrenzter Staatlichkeit konzentriert sich auf die Bedingungen, unter denen
diese zur Bereitstellung kollektiver GĂĽter beitragen. Dabei ignoriert sie
bisher weitestgehend Ergebnisse der Entwicklungsanthropologie sowie der
Literatur zu Sicherheitsprivatisierung und der nichtstaatlichen Bereitstellung
von Sozialleistungen, die die Grenzen und negativen Effekte von
nichtstaatlicher Governance aufzeigen. Es lohnt sich fĂĽr die Governance-
Forschung, diese Ergebnisse ernst zu nehmen und unterschiedliche Qualitäten
von Governance genauer in Augenschein zu nehmen. Dieses Papier beschäftigt
sich mit ebenjenen qualitativen Unterschieden von Governance und entwirft
einen analytischen Rahmen, mit dessen Hilfe diese entlang von drei Dimensionen
erfasst werden können: Inklusivität von Governance, indirekte Effekte von
Governance und externe Effekte von Praktiken, die nicht auf Beiträge zu
Governance abzielen. Empirisch bezieht es sich auf multinationale Unternehmen
in Subsahara Afrika. Dies einerseits, weil sich in der Literatur zu
Unternehmen und Governance eine isolierte Betrachtung positiver Beiträge
besonders virulent zeigt, ohne zwischen unterschiedlichen Qualitäten von
Governance zu unterscheiden. Andererseits zeigen sich am Fall von Unternehmen,
deren primäre Motivation nicht auf die Bereitstellung von Kollektivgütern in
Räumen begrenzter Staatlichkeit zielt, Probleme der Exklusivität und
indirekter Effekte von Governance sowie negativer Externalitäten besonders
eindrücklich. Eine Unterscheidung unterschiedlicher Qualitäten von Governance,
die diese drei Aspekte berĂĽcksichtigt, ist aber auch fĂĽr andere Governance-
Akteure relevant
mining companies and the voluntary principles on security and human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Transnational institutions increasingly commit multinational companies to
human rights and social standards on a voluntary basis. Our paper investigates
the security practices of multinational companies and whether these comply
with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Analysing the case
of mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo we evaluate the impact
of the Principles on local security practices and critically analyse the
effects of these practices. We argue that one needs to go beyond compliance
studies, which focus on the implementation of formal programs (output) and
rule-consistent behaviour (outcome), in order to evaluate corporate governance
contributions. We therefore develop a conceptual framework that looks at
companies’ local security practices, including non-compliant practices, and
their effects on local security. Our approach leads to a more differentiated
evaluation of the effects of voluntary standards and the potential for
corporate governance contributions than much of the literature on business and
governance does.Multinationale Unternehmen werden zunehmend von transnationalen Institutionen
auf freiwilliger Basis zu Menschenrechten und Sozialstandards verpflichtet.
Unser Beitrag untersucht die Sicherheitspraktiken von Unternehmen und fragt,
inwiefern sich diese an die Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
halten. Anhand von zwei multinationalen Bergbaufirmen in der Demokratischen
Republik Kongo untersuchen wir die Wirkung dieser Standards auf die
Sicherheitspraktiken der Firmen, nehmen darĂĽber hinaus aber auch die
Auswirkung der Firmenpraktiken auf die lokale Sicherheitslage in den Blick.
Wir argumentieren dass man ĂĽber die Compliance-Forschung, die auf die
Implementierung formaler Programme und regelkonformes Verhalten fokussiert,
hinaus gehen muss um freiwillige Standards sowie die Wirkung von Unternehmen
auf Sicherheit in Räumen begrenzter Staatlichkeit zu evaluieren. Wir
entwickeln dazu einen „bottom-up“ Ansatz der die gesamte Spanne lokaler
Sicherheitspraktiken von Unternehmen sowie ihre – oft negativen – Effekte in
den Blick nimmt. Dieser Ansatz erlaubt eine differenziertere Bewertung der
Wirkung freiwilliger Standards als auch der Beiträge von Unternehmen zu
lokaler Sicherheit
The multiple meanings and uses of South-South relations in extraction: The Brazilian mining company Vale in Mozambique
South-South relations have raised hopes of a new development geography – one based on solidarity and more horizontal partnerships among countries in the Global South. In recent years, however, many of these aspirations have proven far-fetched. In the case of Brazil, the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro may even suggest that the South–South hype is now over and done. However, empirical accounts of the engagement of Southern, emerging market-based multinationals across the Global South, such as that of Brazil's mining corporation Vale in Mozambique, remain scarce. One missing perspective in defining South-South relations is the agency of other actors beyond emerging powers’ governments. This article therefore goes beyond the pre-eminence of the Brazilian state. Instead, it analyses how South–South relations have been signified and used by two critical actors in the context of Vale's extractive operations in Mozambique: first, the professionals involved in corporate responsibility projects and second, the Mozambican power elites. There is a range of analyses of South–South ties, the imaginaries and hopes associated with them, and their practical possibilities which change according to the expectations, demands, and interests of different actors. We observe that Brazilian professionals in particular have built on specific cultural framings and imaginaries associated with South–South relations to claim a distinct vision and practice of corporate responsibility. Taking note of the prominent role played by Mozambique's ruling party Frelimo, we further demonstrate how Mozambican power elites have harnessed, through gatekeeping practices, the country's commodity-spurred architecture of South–South relations to reaffirm political power and amplify individual economic interests. In light of Vale's current withdrawal from Mozambique, we posit that our analysis provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the multiple makings, and implications of South-South engagement, the controversies linked to the role of Brazilian capital in Africa, and Mozambique's development through extraction
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