The first part of the thesis provides an analysis of previous studies on corporations as political actors in International Relations and International Political Economy. The aim of the theoretical research is to build a conceptual clarification with regard to the concept of global governance, power and authority focused on the transformation of transnational regulation in global governance and to enhance our understanding of business political power. The current research on the structure and processes of global governance highlights five empirical trends: First, the growth of the scale and the scope of non-state actors; second, the emergence of new governance systems that connect different constituencies, such as public and private actors; third, the growing legalisation surrounding environmental and social transnational politics; fourth, the segmentation of rule-making into different functional clusters and among multiple authorities; and, fifth, the emergence of new mechanisms at the global level, often in the form of novel institutional arrangements and actor coalitions.This part also focuses on the revision of the concepts that allow us to analyse the political role of businesses in the global political economy. The research attempts to understand the emergence of CSR beyond international public law in order to advance on knowledge regarding participation by private authorities in global governance. To understand the structure of CSR, the study focuses on the different range of critical approaches used to understand the influence of neoliberalism in the development of the new world order and the emergence of CSR. The second part focuses on global governance theoretical approaches and the emergence of new regulating transnational arrangements that have achieved effective solutions, transcending national boundaries and institutionalising the behaviour of private actors around a set of consciously devised and relatively specific global rules. From an institutional point of view, the emerging private regulating arrangements highlight the increasing density of rule-based interactions that have gradually given rise to an organisational field of transnational rule-making in global governance. The analyses adopt a matrix to classify the new typology of transnational regulation arrangements in which private authorities participate. The research focuses the study on the emergence of these new arrangements promoted by private authorities in dialogue and cooperation with global civil society organizations and other constellations of actors. The research also analyses the emergence of CSR within the framework of the global political economy. The study of CSR shows how it is based on the development of business self-regulation and the emergence of a new global public domain where NGOs and other networks within global civil society engage with the corporate sector to expand the web of corporate accountability, sustainability, labour and human rights initiatives. From this point of view, the critical international political economy approach lets us understand neoliberalism's influence and the role of business elites in CSR.Finally, the third part centers on the empirical analysis of CSR's institutionalization, taking into account the mechanisms that business elites promote to develop and implement CSR, especially private self-regulation and multistakeholder regulation. The empirical research analyses the role of neoliberal structuralist business elites in institutionalizing CSR though the creation of specific CSR and sustainability business associations. The empirical research creates a map of different business associations to promote CSR. The last part of the thesis provides a case study to analyse the emergence of CSR multistakeholder initiatives. The analysis of Global Reporting Initiative's institutionalisation focuses on the study of the role business leaders have on the GRI Board of Directors. It attempts to develop an empirical understanding of the role they play in decision-making and implementation processes for new forms of multistakeholder regulation. / The first part of the thesis provides an analysis of previous studies on corporations as political actors in International Relations and International Political Economy. The aim of the theoretical research is to build a conceptual clarification with regard to the concept of global governance, power and authority focused on the transformation of transnational regulation in global governance and to enhance our understanding of business political power. The current research on the structure and processes of global governance highlights five empirical trends: First, the growth of the scale and the scope of non-state actors; second, the emergence of new governance systems that connect different constituencies, such as public and private actors; third, the growing legalisation surrounding environmental and social transnational politics; fourth, the segmentation of rule-making into different functional clusters and among multiple authorities; and, fifth, the emergence of new mechanisms at the global level, often in the form of novel institutional arrangements and actor coalitions.This part also focuses on the revision of the concepts that allow us to analyse the political role of businesses in the global political economy. The research attempts to understand the emergence of CSR beyond international public law in order to advance on knowledge regarding participation by private authorities in global governance. To understand the structure of CSR, the study focuses on the different range of critical approaches used to understand the influence of neoliberalism in the development of the new world order and the emergence of CSR. The second part focuses on global governance theoretical approaches and the emergence of new regulating transnational arrangements that have achieved effective solutions, transcending national boundaries and institutionalising the behaviour of private actors around a set of consciously devised and relatively specific global rules. From an institutional point of view, the emerging private regulating arrangements highlight the increasing density of rule-based interactions that have gradually given rise to an organisational field of transnational rule-making in global governance. The analyses adopt a matrix to classify the new typology of transnational regulation arrangements in which private authorities participate. The research focuses the study on the emergence of these new arrangements promoted by private authorities in dialogue and cooperation with global civil society organizations and other constellations of actors. The research also analyses the emergence of CSR within the framework of the global political economy. The study of CSR shows how it is based on the development of business self-regulation and the emergence of a new global public domain where NGOs and other networks within global civil society engage with the corporate sector to expand the web of corporate accountability, sustainability, labour and human rights initiatives. From this point of view, the critical international political economy approach lets us understand neoliberalism's influence and the role of business elites in CSR. Finally, the third part centers on the empirical analysis of CSR's institutionalization, taking into account the mechanisms that business elites promote to develop and implement CSR, especially private self-regulation and multistakeholder regulation. The empirical research analyses the role of neoliberal structuralist business elites in institutionalizing CSR though the creation of specific CSR and sustainability business associations. The empirical research creates a map of different business associations to promote CSR. The last part of the thesis provides a case study to analyse the emergence of CSR multistakeholder initiatives. The analysis of Global Reporting Initiative's institutionalisation focuses on the study of the role business leaders have on the GRI Board of Directors. It attempts to develop an empirical understanding of the role they play in decision-making and implementation processes for new forms of multistakeholder regulation.

Desde el principio de que el hombre vive en constante conflicto con su entorno. La adaptación y la posibilidad de cambio constante, frente al espacio de vida, hace que los seres humanos infelices por naturaleza. Los avances y las invenciones humanas, por supuesto, siempre han sido de importancia fundamental para la evolución de la sociedad. En este contexto, se habla de un espacio, la globalización de hoy y mundial, lo que favorece la tecnología (por ejemplo, Internet) contribuir a la mejora de las capacidades humanas. En el contexto de la sociedad de la información, la globalización es objeto virtual de este estudio, que se organiza sobre la base de la comprensión del proceso de globalización, que se refleja a través de Internet. Este es el escenario que se basa en el resultado de texto de esta encuesta, realizada por la Maestría en Integración Latinoamericana, Universidad Federal de Santa Maria, a las siguientes preguntas: a) los roles y funciones de era de la información? b) ¿Puede un sistema de valores, se centró en la preservación de la información, se basan en un sistema que toma la información en constante cambio? c) que se encarga de organizar y coordinar la Sociedad de la Información? y d) las perspectivas son la construcción y operación de un sistema de gobernanza global para la Internet, antes de la sociedad de la información mundial? La delimitación del tema se fija en jaque (en) la viabilidad de la consecución real de la gobernanza de Internet, utilizando las experiencias y las referencias de las perspectivas nacionales. El texto, a su vez, está organizado como una construcción colaborativa de los marcos teóricos sobre el tema. Desafío consagrados en las iniciativas de la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información, el Foro para la Gobernanza de Internet y el Comité Gestor de Internet en Brasil. / Desde os primórdios que o homem vive em constante conflito com o que o cerca. A adaptação e possibilidade de mudança constante, frente ao espaço em que vive, faz dos seres humanos entes insatisfeitos por natureza. Os avanços e inventos humanos, por certo, sempre foram de fundamental importância para a evolução da sociedade. Neste contexto, fala-se de um espaço, hoje mundializado/globalizado, em que os favorecimentos tecnológicos (diga-se internet) contribuem ao aperfeiçoamento das capacidades humanas. Contextualizado à Sociedade de Informação, a globalização virtual é objeto deste estudo, o qual se organiza a partir do entendimento do processo de globalização, materializado por meio da internet. Este é o cenário em que se fundamenta o texto resultado desta pesquisa, realizada junto ao Mestrado em Integração Latino-Americana, da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, que se organiza no intuito de atender os seguintes questionamentos: a) quais os papéis e funções da era da informação?; b) poderá um sistema de valores, centrado na preservação da informação, prevalecer sobre um sistema que assume a informação numa constante transformação?; c) a quem compete organizar e coordenar a Sociedade da Informação?; e d) há perspectivas para construção e operacionalização de um sistema de governança global para internet, diante da Sociedade da Informação globalizada? A delimitação do tema fixa-se em verificar a (in)viabilidade de concretização real da governança da internet, utilizando-se das experiências e encaminhamentos em perspectivas nacionais. O texto, por sua vez, organiza-se como elemento de colaboração à construção de estruturas teóricas sobre a temática. Desafio consubstanciado nas iniciativas da Cúpula Mundial da Sociedade da Informação, do Fórum de Governança para Internet e do Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil.