Meta-governance as partial organization

Abstract This paper develops a decision-based approach to meta-governance by drawing on insights from studies of organization outside of formal organizations. We argue that meta-governance can be analyzed as a form of partial organization of interactive arenas. Meta-governance has become an important concept in theorizing the role of government in contemporary governance, particularly in the context of shaping and providing guidance to different interactive arenas, such as networks and quasi-markets. Meta-governance is, however, also a broad and ambiguous concept, which limits its ability to guide empirical research on the actual practices of governing and the actors involved. Rather than presenting a new perspective on meta-governance, the framework of partial organization enables analysis of the processes behind the formation of meta-governance strategies. By focusing on decision-making, it offers a dynamic understanding of the stepwise development of meta-governance, reflecting an emerging, rather than predefined, rationality of governance arrangements.