The origins of legitimation strategies in international organizations: agents, audiences and environments

Abstract How do international organizations (IOs) claim legitimacy, and why they so in different ways? Confronted with contestation critique, IOs seek to enhance audiences' beliefs their legitimacy by justifying governance competence through public communication the change of institutions behaviour. This article serves as an introduction a special section on ‘Legitimizing organizations’. It theorizes origins IOs' legitimation strategies outlines analytical framework for section. We propose agents-audiences-environment (AAE) framework, which synthesizes diverse literatures organizational legitimation. While existing literature focuses audiencesapos; normative demands key source strategies, we supplement this perspective ones that consider IO agents' norms institutionalized peer organizations. In introduction, first clarify what is at stake debate over then explain benefits shifting from audience Thereafter, define main concepts develop our AAE-framework. conclude summarizing how contributors use AAE-framework advance understanding