Description
When do IOs grow in response to crises? Despite extensive discussions about a crisis of multilateralism, IR literature offers limited insights into the factors influencing the impact of specific crises on an IO. This paper builds upon scholarship on IO autonomy, funding, performance, and the transformative potential of crises, to theorise the causal pathway through which major crises influence IOs. It specifically examines how factors like pre-crisis bureaucratic entrepreneurship, proactive crisis management, and alignment with permissive political conditions can lead to significant institutional changes. Using qualitative methods including process tracing, qualitative text analysis, and elite interviews, I conduct a detailed investigation into the strategic adaptations and governance innovations occurring within IOs during crises. WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a pathway case, demonstrating how the organisation navigated the crisis to achieve a landmark increase in member states’ assessed contributions, significantly transforming its autonomy. By elucidating the complex interplay between crisis dynamics, bureaucratic initiative, and political contexts, this research enhances our understanding of how IOs manage crises and the critical factors influencing their ability to expand autonomy. The findings offer insights for policy development, suggesting pathways to enhance the resilience and effectiveness of IOs in navigating and capitalising on crises.
