Transnational Norm-Building Networks and the Legitimacy of Corporate Social Responsibility Standards

In the following article, we propose ananalytical framework for the analysis of Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR) Standards based on the paradigmaticnexus of voice and entitlement. We follow thetheory of decentration and present the concept ofTransnational Norm-Building Networks (TNNs), which– as we argue – comprise a new nexus of voice andentitlement beyond the nation–state level. Furthermore,we apply the analytical framework to the ISO 26000initiative and the Global Compact. We conclude thearticle with remarks on the legitimacy and the effectivenessof norms generated by TNNs. Through this, we aimto contribute a new theoretical foundation to the analysisof CSR standards, which enables us to undertake a moredifferentiated description of TNN structures which havehitherto been ignored in academic literature. Secondly,we will contribute to the practical debate on ISO 26000and the Global Compact by proposing new perspectiveson the conditions of their legitimacy and effectivenessbased on the voice–entitlement nexus.