TY - JOUR

T1 - Institutionalising city networking

T2 - Discursive and rational choice institutional perspectives on membership of transnational municipal networks

AU - Grønnestad, Solveig

AU - Nielsen, Anne Bach

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - This article analyses participants’ reasoning for their city’s membership in transnational municipal networks and the extent to which this changes over time. Theoretically, we build on new-institutional theory and conclude that although parts of the members’ reasoning have rational components, a discursive institutional perspective improves the understanding of cities’ membership of transnational municipal networks. This perspective uncovers how important aspects of transnational municipal network participation are motivated by a different logic than that of measurable output. Cities use transnational municipal networks as sources of internal and external legitimacy, to legitimatise their position in domestic politics and their international position among other ‘global’ cities.

AB - This article analyses participants’ reasoning for their city’s membership in transnational municipal networks and the extent to which this changes over time. Theoretically, we build on new-institutional theory and conclude that although parts of the members’ reasoning have rational components, a discursive institutional perspective improves the understanding of cities’ membership of transnational municipal networks. This perspective uncovers how important aspects of transnational municipal network participation are motivated by a different logic than that of measurable output. Cities use transnational municipal networks as sources of internal and external legitimacy, to legitimatise their position in domestic politics and their international position among other ‘global’ cities.

U2 - 10.1177/00420980211061450

DO - 10.1177/00420980211061450

M3 - Journal article

VL - 59

SP - 2951

EP - 2967

JO - Urban Studies

JF - Urban Studies

SN - 0042-0980

IS - 4

ER -