Normative spaces and the UN Global Compact for transnational corporations: the norm diffusion paradox

Regime theorists argue that international regimes and institutions are based on principles, norms and decision-making procedures that constitute a set of patterned behaviours around which expectations converge. The notion of these institutionalised ‘logics of appropriateness’ has led to the proliferation of many global norms, such as the UN Global Compact, that are considered to govern the practices of multinational corporations in the extractive sector. The key question that this paper asks is, to what extent is the UN Global Compact influencing the behaviour of mining companies in Ghana — particularly the social responsibility performance of Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd and Chirano Gold Mines Ltd.? Since the existing global CSR norms thrive mainly on voluntary subscription and compliance, the overall objective of this paper is to underscore the paradox of putting a widely acclaimed arrangement such as the Global Compact into practice and its implications for the livelihoods of expected ‘norm beneficiaries’. The goal is to contribute to the literature on the nature and rationale of CSR in Ghana, as well as to improve our understanding of localised diffusion and contestations of global norms.