The manifestation of private business actors in international regime complexes: Introducing an analytical framework

Multinational enterprises and industry associations are increasingly influencing the global governance of many issues. In areas such as climate change, trade, and forestry scholars across disciplines have demonstrated that multinational enterprises are steering, crafting, and influencing public regulations and international agreements. However, whilst we know that private business actors do influence global governance processes, comparatively little is known about how they do this. This article seeks to shed more light on the role that private business actors play in international public governance processes through the lens of the international regime complex theory. International regime complex theory is a predominant theory of institutional interactions in complex global governance environments. A collection of empirical work has shown the opportunities presented by international regime complex theory to understand the influence of private business actors in crafting public regulation. However, beyond these studies, international regime complex theory has paid insignificant attention to the role of private business actors in international regime complexes. Based on a scoping literature review of 243 articles from international regime complex theory scholarship, I propose an analytical framework which sets out four main roles performed by private business actors in international regime complexes. The framework seeks to contribute to the theoretical development of international regime complex theory by providing a conceptual basis to understand the empirical findings that have been observed. Additionally, it will contribute to the wider discussion in global governance about the avenues in which private business actors are involved in, and influence, international public regulation.