Cross‐sector alliances in the global refugee crisis: An institutional theory approach

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (2017), there are over 40 million refugees worldwide. Although the refugee crisis in Europe captivated international attention in 2015, the crisis has evolved to become a global problem. Refugees currently living in Europe only account for 17% of the global refugee population, and the situation is much direr in regions such as Africa (30%), Middle East, and North Africa (26%). For millions of refugees, their forced displacement journeys may be fatal. Between 2015 and 2017, the annual refugee fatality rate kept reaching records (Missing Migrant Project, 2018). In 2016 alone, over 8,000 refugees died from drowning and vehicle accidents during migration. Even when refugees reach resettlement camps, many still struggle with access to basic living resources and face challenges such as language barriers, poverty, and cross-cultural adaptation (Douglas, Levitan, & Kiama, 2017). The scope and magnitude of the global refugee crisis are unprecedented. This crisis has posed severe challenges to social stability and sustainable development around the world. Yet, most governments are ill-prepared for this global humanitarian crisis, or their actions are mired by polarized domestic public opinions and nationalist movements. Cross-sector alliance is an effective way for societies to address wicked problems such as the global refugee crisis that spills over sectoral and national boundaries (Jamali, Yianni, & Abdallah, 2011; Selsky & Parker, 2005). These types of interorganizational relationships are also known as multi-stakeholder collaboratives, social alliances, cause-based partnerships, social service partnerships, and business-community partnerships (for an extensive review, see Koschmann, Kuhn, & Pfarrer, 2012). While many NGOs and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) advocate on behalf of refugees, our initial assessment reveals considerable disparity when it comes to corporate participation in refugee relief efforts and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Received: 10 October 2018 | Revised: 5 April 2020 | Accepted: 16 April 2020 DOI: 10.1111/beer.12288