Transnational governance schemes (TGSs) are interorganizational networks of public and/or private actors that jointly regulate global public policy issues, such as the prevention of human rights violations and the protection of ecosystems. Considering that TGSs mainly address issues of public...

We argue that the legitimacy of transnational governance schemes depends on the legitimacy of associated subunits, and show how affect-based evaluations of subunit characteristics and actions generate vertical legitimacy spillovers for the scheme as a whole. We consider the impact of a...

Drawing on an institutional perspective, we argue that the formation of the Global Compact's legitimacy depends on the legitimacy of corporate signatories. The proclaimed interdependence of legitimacy objects implies that increasing numbers of best‐practice examples in the corporate sector are...