Steve Biedermann: Research and Teaching

Unpacking Informality: Understanding Variations in the Design of Informal Intergovernmental Organizations (IIGOs) 

Based on the observation that IIGOs such as the G20, BRICS, or the recently created Climate Club display very different institutional characteristics, this project explores the institutional variety of IIGOs and analyzes its implications. Starting with a systematic mapping of IIGO's institutional features, it first provides a dataset about IIGO's institutional designs, identifies different types of informal IOs, and discusses the relevance of specific design features. In a second step, it turns to the implications of the observed design variations, introduces the notion of governance capacity, and finds that IIGOs' exercise of informal governance is mainly shaped by the collective power of their members. In a third step, the project focuses on change in IIGOs and finds that it rests on the shared learning processes of IIGO members. This applies to modifications in IIGO mandates, membership, and their degree of institutionalization. In doing so, the project speaks to the research on the design, functions, and change of IOs and applies functional, power-based, and knowledge-based approaches to answer its main research questions. It extends our understanding of IIGOs and enables subsequent research by showing that they are no uniform entities and illustrating the significance of differences in their institutional designs.