Call for Papers

Call for short papers (pdf)

Meta-organizations, organizations whose members are themselves organizations, take diverse forms, including industry associations, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and cross-sector partnerships. They are typically characterized by voluntary membership and negotiated authority grounded in consensus and shared norms, rather than hierarchical control (Ahrne & Brunsson, 2005; Berkowitz & Bor , 2018). As meta-organizations proliferate across sectors from sustainab ility to tech governance, understanding how power operates within and through them is increasingly urgent. This sub-theme invites scholars to critically examine power dynamics in meta-organizational contexts, contributing to broader EGOS conversations on institutions, governance, practice, and the evolving forms of collective organizing beyond the firm.
 
Power is a foundational concept in social science, including organization studies, business studies and inter-organizational relations, and there are different ways in which the concept is used and understood (March, 1966; Mintzberg, 1983; Lukes, 1986; Domhoff & Dye, 1987; Clegg et al., 2006; Fleming & Spicer, 2014). Some scholars emphasize its relational and strategic aspects, particularly different forms of authority (Dahl, 1961; Wrong, 1979) and the ability of actors to influence or resist others (Huxham & Beech, 2008; Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) through force, manipulation or persuasion (Nye, 2011). Others underscore its generative and enabling features, viewing power as the capacity to act or as a practice of empowerment (Giddens, 1984; Göhler, 2009; Huxham & Beech, 2008; Parker & Follett, 1940). These conceptualizations, while distinct, are not mutually exclusive. However, despite its relevance, power remains undertheorized in meta-organization scholarship.
 
In the nascent literature of meta-organization, one key area where the concept of power has figured prominently is in the discussion about meta-organizations’ influence over their membership base (Ahrne et al., 2016; Ahrne & Brunsson, 2012; Bennett, 1999; Vähä-Savo et al., 2019). It has also been recognized, mostly drawing upon resource dependence theory, that a member’s power to influence the meta-organization varies greatly (Ahrne & Brunsson, 2008; Barnett, 2013; Bor & Cropper, 2023; Garaudel, 2020). More commonly, however, particularly in the literature on trade or business associations, has been a focus on the power of meta-organizations in relation to their environment, e.g. their ability to influence their environment (Greenwood, 2002; Lawton & Rajwani, 2018; Marques, 2017), which has also featured in the literature on meta-organizations and their role in society and sustainability transitions (Berkowitz & Bor, 2024; Berkowitz et al., forthcoming; Bor & Oshea, 2022; Nadegger & Dobusch, 2022).
 
Exploring meta-organizations through the lens of power relations offers valuable insights into the complex and often subtle dynamics that characterize these organizational forms. A central challenge lies in understanding how meta-organizations and their member organizations reconcile divergent interests, how they share or contest power, and what conditions or mechanisms support this delicate balancing act. But also, how do they influence one another, and under what conditions and to what effect? In some meta-organizations, employees from the meta-organization and employees from its members undertake the work of the meta-organization collaboratively, without them having direct authority relations (see Bor & Almpanopoulou, forthcoming). Therefore, it is essential to consider what makes this effective and successful and what kinds of processes and tools are supporting this joint power. Lastly, some meta-organizations rely on their members’ actions to be able to succeed. How do these meta-organizations ensure that member organizations meet their commitments? What strategies do they employ to motivate or compel members to fulfill their promises? And how do they solve potential conflicts?
 
Beyond internal dynamics, it is equally important to examine how meta-organizations exercise and are subject to power in relation to their broader environment. One line of inquiry concerns the influence meta-organizations wield in amplifying particular voices –and how this, in turn, may spur the creation of competing meta-organizations by other actors seeking representation (Fernandes et al., forthcoming). Such dynamics invite engagement with critical and post-colonial perspectives that can illuminate the unintended consequences or exclusionary tendencies embedded in these processes. Another promising avenue involves exploring the role of public agencies (via mechanisms such as funding, regulation, or policy) in shaping the agenda, structure, or behavior of meta-organizations. What forms of influence do these external actors exert, and how do such pressures affect internal relations and governance within meta-organizations?
 
As outlined above, power in meta-organizations can be examined from multiple angles, raising important theoretical and empirical questions. We therefore invite contributions that seek to extend, refine, or problematize existing meta-organization theory, as well as those that introduce novel perspectives or frameworks. The following list offers a non-exhaustive set of questions that submissions might address:
 
Power and authority within meta-organizations (internal dynamics, governance, leadership, and legitimacy):

• What governance structures or decision-making processes enable – or constrain – the exercise of power in meta-organizations?

• How do meta-organizations ensure power sharing amongst members? Do meta-organizations develop empowerment practices, and how are these experienced and legitimized?

• What types or sources of power and authority do meta-organization leaders – whether managers or member representatives – possess or cultivate?

• How do the historical trajectories or founding conditions of meta-organizations influence the distribution and evolution of power within them?

• How do meta-organizations construct and maintain legitimacy, and what role does symbolic power play in reinforcing their authority?

 
Power relations with the external environment (interactions with state actors, regulators, funders, competitors, broader systems of governance):

• What factors shape the power of meta-organizations vis-à-vis their members and their environment? Which theoretical frameworks best explain these dynamics?

• In what ways do external stakeholders, such as regulators or funding bodies, exert power over meta-organizations, and how do meta-organizations respond to such pressures?

• What are the different ways in which meta-organizations may empower members to organize resistance in relation to other power structures in their environment?

 
Contestation, representation, and the mediation of power (how power is contested, framed, and exercised within and around meta-organizations):

• How do the power relations with and within meta-organizations look like from a critical or post-colonial perspective?

• What discursive strategies do meta-organizations use to shape perceptions of power, legitimacy, and representation among members and external audiences?

• How do digital tools and technologies influence power dynamics in meta-organizations, particularly regarding communication, decision-making, and transparency?

• When do power dynamics within meta-organizations foster collective action, and when do they lead to conflict, inertia, or fragmentation?

References

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• Ahrne, G., & Brunsson, N. (2008): Meta-Organizations. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Ahrne, G., & Brunsson, N. (2012): “How Much do Meta-Organizations Affect Their Members?” In: M. Koch (ed.): Weltorganisationen. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, 55–70.
• Ahrne, G., Brunsson, N., & Kerwer, D. (2016): “The Paradox of Organizing States: A Meta-Organization Perspective on International Organizations.” Journal of International Organizations Studies, 7 (1), 5–24.
• Barnett, M.L. (2013): “One Voice, But Whose Voice? Exploring What Drives Trade Association Activity.” Business & Society, 52 (2), 213–244.
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• Berkovitz, H., & Bor, S. (2018): "Why Meta-Organizations Matter: A Response to Lawton et al. and Spillman." Journal of Management Inquiry, 27 (2), 204–211.
• Berkowitz, H., & Bor, S. (2024): “Meta-organizations for Sustainability Transformations: Navigating Tensions Between Imperatives of Transition and Meta-organizationality.” Journal of Organizational Sociology, 2 (1), 2024, 29–58.
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• Fleming, P., & Spicer, A. (2014): “Organizational Power in Management and Organization Science.” Academy of Management Annals, 8 (1) 1–73.
• Garaudel, P. (2020): “Exploring meta-organizations’ diversity and agency: A meta-organizational perspective on global union federations.” Scandinavian Journal of Management, 36 (1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2020.101094
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• Göhler, G. (2009): “’Power to’ and ‘Power over’.” In: S.R. Clegg & M. Haugaard (eds.): The SAGE Handbook of Power. London: SAGE Publications, 27–39.
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• Lawton, T.C., & Rajwani, T. (2018): “Introduction: Revisiting the Roles and Responsibilities of Trade Associations.” Journal of Management Inquiry, 27 (1), 3–4.
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• Nadegger, M., & Dobusch, L. (2022): “Meta-organisations as drivers for sustainability across tourism clusters in the Alps.” In: E. Lupova-Henry & N.F. Dotti (eds.): Clusters and Sustainable Regional Development: A Meta-Organisational Approach. London: Routledge, 160–175.
• Nye, J.S. (2004): Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. New York: PublicAffairs.
• Parker Follett, M. (1940): “Power.” In: H.C. Metcalf & L. Urwick (eds.): Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett. New York: Harper & Brothers, 95–116.
• Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G.R. (1978): The External Control of Organizations: A Resource Dependence Perspective. New York: Harper & Row.
• Vähä-Savo, V., Syväterä, J., & Tervonen-Gonçalves, L. (2019): “The authority of meta-organisations: Making the international association of National Public Health Institutes attractive to prospective members.” European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology, 6 (4), 474–502.
• Wrong, D.H. (1979): Power: Its Forms, Bases and Uses. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.