Who performs better? A comparative analysis of problem-solving effectiveness and legitimacy attributions to international organizations

Bibliographic Data

ID8912430
AuthorsDiana Panke (0000-0002-4434-1478, corresponding author), Gurur Polat, Franziska Hohlstein
Year2022
Volume57
Issue4
Pages433-456
Publication date2022-01-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCooperation and Conflict (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0010-8367 • E-ISSN: 1460-3691
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00108367211036916
OpenAlexW4205514754
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited46

The performance of individual international organizations (IOs) has received considerable scholarly attention, not in the least because their importance for global governance. This paper adds to this body of work by adopting genuine comparative lenses. Based on a novel survey, it assesses the attributed performance of 49 IOs over two important dimensions: problem-solving effectiveness and legitimacy of outputs. This reveals variation between IOs with respect to both components. We derive hypotheses from international cooperation and IO design. The quantitative analysis reveals that except deliberative diplomatic practices many factors increasing attributed legitimacy differ from the ones increasing the attributed problem-solving effectiveness. Most notably, autonomous secretariats increase the problem-solving effectiveness attributed to IOs. Legitimacy attributions increase when IOs are regional instead of global in nature and when non-state actors have access to IO decision-making

Attribution · Corporate governance · Economics · Global governance · Legitimacy · Management · Political science · Public relations · State (computer science · Variation (astronomy · Work (physics · Computer Science · European Union Policy and Governance · International Development and Aid · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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