Networked International Organizations: Structures, Purposes, and Effects

Abstract

International organizations (IOs) frequently interact with one another and other institutions, forming intricate networks with varying degrees of density and connectivity. They typically exchange information as well as other resources and often generate substantial interactions that contribute to horizontal or vertical coordination and cooperation. Importantly, these networks are more than just the sum of their members’ connections. They are emergent social structures with inherent dynamics that possess agency beyond the engaged actors. Against this backdrop, the panel builds on the growing literature on networks in IR and focuses on IOs in networks but also on IOs as networks. It aims to map their structures and analyze their drivers, purposes, and effects in light of current transformations in the international system. In doing so, the panel advances both IO research and social network analysis techniques. Guiding questions for the panel may be: 1) What are specific structures of networks in, among, or as IOs, for example, regarding cliques, clusters, bridges, centers, and periphery? 2) What explains these network structures? What are the driving factors or purposes? 3) Under what conditions do these structures affect IO outcomes and events in international relations? 4) Which methodological tools and innovations help to explore these networks?

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