ABSTRACT
Current efforts at mobilizing business as a partner in global governance often rely on voluntary consensus standard setting. This institution has a long history that began before 1900 with efforts by engineers to set industrial standards. Because this process is now migrating to other areas, including environmental governance and norms for corporate social responsibility, it is of interest to ask “Why has this process proven so successful?” Our answer combines two strands of theory. One is concerned with the nature of the knowledge community and social movement of “standardizers,” a focus that leads us to adopt some of Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts. A second set of theories helps us see members of that social movement as leaders who help competing companies and sectors overcome impediments to strategic cooperation and collaboration.
