Abstract/Summary

This study considers the national adoption and implementation of international norms, focusing on how actors named by the researcher “Transnational Expertise and Experience Networks” and Local Content Policies affect a norm’s chances of reaching compliance. While Constructivists have thoroughly explored the reasons behind the creation and diffusion of international norms, the implementation phase remains understudied with few explanations offered as to why some norms reach compliance domestically while others do not. Going beyond the idea that compliance levels are determined by the strength of the international norm (Sikkink & Finnemore, 1998), the ability to overcome value conflicts (Young, 1998) and the influence of small, specialised lobby groups (Rosen, 1991/2018), this study suggests that TEENs and LC policies may be more relevant to understanding a norm’s final outcome. Through two case studies, the researcher follows the evolution of the international norms on world-class universities and combatting the flaring of Associated Petroleum Gas through the different stages of their life-cycle: from inception and diffusion on the international stage to their adoption by the Russian government and domestic implementation with project 5-100 on Excellence in Higher Education and Decrees 7 and 1148 on APG utilization. The cases are explored through two research questions: “Why do governments adopt and implement international norms?” and “How do transnational actors and Local Content policy affect the chances of a successful outcome in the national implementation of international norms?” The main findings are that successful norm implementation is associated with a high level of involvement of TEENs, which help to adapt the international norm to the local context, by increasing motivation levels and sharing best practices. The LC policies in both case studies did not correlate with lower compliance rates; their impact was found to depend on their design, their degree of formalization and on whether they impeded the work of TEENs.