Deliberation and Contestation in Multi-stakeholder Initiatives: A Multi-Level Perspective

This chapter critically reviews the literature on multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) and outlines a research agenda for future studies. MSIs are defined as spaces of dialogue, deliberation, contestation, and learning among actors from the business, social sector, and occasionally governmental and public agencies, to address the social and environmental impacts resulting from corporate activity that fall outside the scope of national or international regulation. The review examines three main levels: The meso-level perspective, which focuses on inclusivity, authenticity, consequentiality, and contestation; the macro level, which includes themes like democratic control, transnational deliberative system, and other self-regulatory initiatives; and the micro-level, which explores stakeholder orientation, the role of leaders and mediators, mini-publics, human dignity, and power asymmetries. This analysis underscores the need for research on the interplay between these levels and cross-cutting themes, with particular attention to the deliberative structures and processes that can accommodate spaces for contestation.