Hypocrisy trap : the World Bank and the poverty of reform

As the preeminent international development agency for the past sixty years, the World Bank has attracted equal amounts of criticism and praise. Critics are especially quick to decry the World Bank's hypocrisy--the pervasive gaps between the organization's talk, decisions, and actions. In the wake of the Paul Wolfowitz leadership scandal in May 2006, perceptions of hypocrisy have exacted a heavy toll on the Bank's authority and fueled strong demands for wide-scale reform. Yet what exactly does the hypocrisy of the World Bank look like, and what or who causes it? In Hypocrisy Trap, Catherine Weaver explores how the characteristics of change in a complex international organization make hypocrisy difficult to resolve, especially after its exposure becomes a critical threat to the organization's legitimacy and survival. Using a rich sociological model and several years of field research, Weaver delves into the political and cultural worlds within and outside of the Bank to uncover the tensions that incite and perpetuate organized hypocrisy. She examines the sources and dynamics of hypocrisy in the critical cases of the Bank's governance and anticorruption agenda, and its recent Strategic Compact reorganization. The first book to unravel the puzzle of organized hypocrisy in relation to reform at the World Bank, Hypocrisy Trap ultimately enriches our understanding of culture, behavior, and change in international organizations.Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.

hypocrisy Trap Provides A Fresh Look At A Long-standing Problem: Why Do International Organizations Such As The World Bank So Often Say One Thing But Do Another? Weaver Combines An Impressive Array Of Interviews And Secondary Sources With Organizational Sociology To Show Why There Is A Trap And Why It Is Not Easy To Avoid Or Escape. The Resulting Analysis Will Be Of Interest To Scholars Concerned With How International Organizations Actually Operate--and To Practitioners Who Want To Operate Them More Successfully. Unfortunately, It Turns Out That Good Governance Is Easier To Say Than To Do.--duncan Snidal, University Of Chicago

when Institutional Pressures And Bureaucratic Goals Collide, Hypocrisy Is Almost Inevitable. The Contradiction Between Talk And Action Is Built Into The Very Fabric Of The World Bank. The Outcome, As Catherine Weaver Argues In This Timely And Compelling Study, Is Systemic Rather Than Sporadic Hypocrisy.--peter J. Katzenstein, Cornell University

an Excellent Book: Theoretically Sophisticated, Empirically Rich, And Refreshingly Accessible. This Is The Best Book I Have Seen About The World Bank In A Long Time.--martha Finnemore, George Washington University

while Others Have Examined Dysfunction And Pathology More Generally In International Organizations, Weaver's Book Is The First To Offer A Theoretically Sophisticated Analysis Of Hypocrisy Specifically. Weaver Casts A Broad Net And Aims High.--paul J. Nelson, University Of Pittsburgh

c. Kilby - Choice

one Constant Frustration To Anyone Who Follows The World Bank Is The Frequent Difference Between The Institution's Words And Actions. In This Book, Weaver Offers A Convincing Explanation For This 'organized Hypocrisy'. . . . The Book's Initial Chapters Provide A Good Introduction To The Idea Of Hypocrisy As An Institutional Response To Conflicting Demands.

As the preeminent international development agency for the past sixty years, the World Bank has attracted equal amounts of criticism and praise. Critics are especially quick to decry the World Bank's hypocrisy—the pervasive gaps between the organization's talk, decisions, and actions. In the wake of the Paul Wolfowitz leadership scandal in May 2006, perceptions of hypocrisy have exacted a heavy toll on the Bank's authority and fueled strong demands for wide-scale reform. Yet what exactly does the hypocrisy of the World Bank look like, and what or who causes it? In Hypocrisy Trap, Catherine Weaver explores how the characteristics of change in a complex international organization make hypocrisy difficult to resolve, especially after its exposure becomes a critical threat to the organization's legitimacy and survival.

Using a rich sociological model and several years of field research, Weaver delves into the political and cultural worlds within and outside of the Bank to uncover the tensions that incite and perpetuate organized hypocrisy. She examines the sources and dynamics of hypocrisy in the critical cases of the Bank's governance and anticorruption agenda, and its recent Strategic Compact reorganization. The first book to unravel the puzzle of organized hypocrisy in relation to reform at the World Bank, Hypocrisy Trap ultimately enriches our understanding of culture, behavior, and change in international organizations.

As the preeminent international development agency for the past sixty years, the World Bank has attracted equal amounts of criticism and praise. Critics are especially quick to decry the World Bank's hypocrisy - the pervasive gaps between the organization's talk, decisions, and actions. In the wake of the Paul Wolfowitz leadership scandal in May 2006, perceptions of hypocrisy have exacted a heavy toll on the Bank's authority and fueled strong demands for wide-scale reform. Yet what exactly does the hypocrisy of the World Bank look like, and what or who causes it?In "Hypocrisy Trap", Catherine Weaver explores how the characteristics of change in a complex international organization make hypocrisy difficult to resolve, especially after its exposure becomes a critical threat to the organization's legitimacy and survival. Using a rich sociological model and several years of field research, Weaver delves into the political and cultural worlds within and outside of the Bank to uncover the tensions that incite and perpetuate organized hypocrisy. She examines the sources and dynamics of hypocrisy in the critical cases of the Bank's governance and anticorruption agenda, and its recent Strategic Compact reorganization. The first book to unravel the puzzle of organized hypocrisy in relation to reform at the World Bank, "Hypocrisy Trap" ultimately enriches our understanding of culture, behavior, and change in international organizations 9780691138190......Page 1 00WEAVER_Frontmatter......Page 2 01WEAVER_CH01......Page 20 02WEAVER_CH02......Page 38 03WEAVER_CH03......Page 63 04WEAVER_CH04......Page 111 05WEAVER_CH05......Page 159 06WEAVER_CH06......Page 195 07WEAVER_CH07......Page 212 08WEAVER_Bibliography......Page 214 09WEAVER_Index......Page 238 Introduction : hypocrisy and change in the World Bank The World Bank hypocrisy trap The World's Bank and the bank's world Good governance and anticorruption : from rhetoric to reality? The poverty of reform The fog of development. 9780691138190 9780691138190 1 00WEAVER_Frontmatter 2 01WEAVER_CH01 20 02WEAVER_CH02 38 03WEAVER_CH03 63 04WEAVER_CH04 111 05WEAVER_CH05 159 06WEAVER_CH06 195 07WEAVER_CH07 212 08WEAVER_Bibliography 214 09WEAVER_Index 238