Call for short research notes
Hybrid Organizations in Global Governance
Workshop, Québec City, May 31 to June 2, 2026
The goal of the workshop is to develop a research agenda on the role of hybrid organizations in global governance. We invite short and focused research notes (3,000 to 4,000 words) that examine one or more specific hybrid organizations and explore one or more research questions. During the workshop, these notes will be discussed and compared to foster a creative group discussion and identify promising directions for future research. While the conveners do not plan to publish the research notes themselves, the discussion will serve as the foundation for a collective manuscript to be submitted to a reputable journal.
Hybrid organizations
We define hybrid organizations as actors that combine attributes (such as mandates, rules of operation, organizational culture, funding, or membership) from more than one classic organizational form.
Several hybrids combine features of governmental, private, and civil society organizations. For example, some private foundations blend elements of NGOs and firms, private military contractors combine elements of regular armed forces and firms, and some certification organizations incorporate aspects of both NGOs and governments.
Private organizations that perform functions typically associated with intergovernmental organizations include the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
Other forms of hybrid organizations include the IPCC, which sits at the boundary between science and politics; the European Union, which mixes intergovernmental and supranational processes; the ICSID, which is guided by public and private law; the Holy See, which engages in both intergovernmental and transnational politics; and APEC, which has features of both formal and informal organization.
For the purpose of this workshop, we focus on hybrid organizations as we are interested in their agency. We do not examine hybrid rules, policies, spaces, or systems that do not have the capacity to act as autonomous actors. Moreover, we focus on hybrids that operate beyond national borders, at the international or transnational level.
Areas of inquiries
We suggest five broad areas of inquiry to structure the workshop and possibly the subsequent collective publication. Research notes should engage with one or more of these questions. Considering that research notes are expected to be short, contributors are encouraged to focus on the questions they find the most important or interesting, rather than attempting to address all five.
- The concept of hybrid organizations. How does the concept of hybrids differ from related concepts? How can we create a typology of hybrid organizations? How does our subjective understanding of hybrids and our categorization of organizations change over time?
- The emergence of hybrid organizations. How, why, and by whom are hybrids created? What conditions are conductive to their emergence? Are we witnessing a growth in their number or their diversity?
- The trajectory of hybrid organizations. Does the hybrid character of an organization evolve over time? Are hybrids more resilient or adaptative than traditional organizations? Are there attempts to “purify” hybrids into a clear type?
- The properties of hybrid organizations. How do hybrids differ from traditional organizations in terms of discourse, preferences, or behavior? Are they more incoherent or inconsistent? More agile, flexible, innovative or effective?
- The relations of hybrid organizations. How do hybrids interact with more traditional organizations and with other hybrids? Are they isolated or marginalized? Do they act as bridges between different types of organizations?
Submission and timeline
Please submit HERE a short proposal (150 words) clearly identifying the hybrid organization(s) and the above area(s) of inquiry you plan to explore in your research note, along with a short bio (150 words max) by October 1st 2025. Acceptance decisions will be communicated by November 1st.
Complete research notes (3000-4000 words) are due by May 1st, 2026.
The workshop will take place in Québec City (Canada) from May 31 to June 2, 2026.
Cost and funding
There is no registration fee. Meals and accommodation (3 nights) will be covered for all participants. Limited funding may be available to assist with travel expenses for individuals without access to research funds, with priority given to early-career researchers and researchers from the Global South. Please let us know when applying if you would need travel support.