Reinecke, Juliane, Manning, Stephan and von Hagen, Oliver. (2012) The emergence of a standards market : multiplicity of sustainability standards in the global coffee industry. Organization Studies, Vol.33 (No.5-6). pp. 791-814. ISSN 0170-8406

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Abstract

The growing number of voluntary standards for governing transnational arenas is presenting standards organizations with a problem. While claiming that they are pursuing shared, overarching objectives, at the same time they are promoting their own respective standards that are increasingly similar. By developing the notion of ‘standards markets’, this paper examines this tension and studies how different social movement and industry-driven standards organizations compete as well as collaborate over governance in transnational arenas. Based on an in-depth case study of sustainability standards in the global coffee industry, we find that the ongoing co-existence of multiple standards is being promoted by the interplay between two countervailing mechanisms: convergence and differentiation. In conjunction, these mechanisms are enabling the emergence and persistence of a market for standards through what we describe as meta-standardization of sustainable practices. Meta-standardization leads to convergence at the ‘rules of the game’ level, but allows also differentiation at the attributes level, which is enabling parties to create and maintain their own standards. Our study helps to advance the understanding of transnational governance by explaining the dynamics of competing and collaborating non-state actors in constituting a standards market.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Industrial Relations & Organisational Behaviour Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Coffee industry, Fair trade associations, Standardization, Coffee industry -- Political aspects, Commercial policy -- International cooperation, Sustainability
Journal or Publication Title:	Organization Studies
Publisher:	Sage Publications Ltd.
ISSN:	0170-8406
Official Date:	May 2012
Volume:	Vol.33
Number:	No.5-6
Page Range:	pp. 791-814
Identification Number:	10.1177/0170840612443629
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/40617

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