In a new study, Mistra Geopolitics researchers Lisa Dellmuth and Nicholas Olczak at Stockholm University, examine how elites perceive the role of international organizations (IOs) in global problem-solving. This study is the first of it’s kind and is important now when geopolitical tensions are increasing.

“It is important to study elites because they are the group who have perhaps the greatest influence over whether, and in what ways, global governance occurs,” said Nicholas Olczak, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Stockholm Center on Global Governance, hosted by Stockholm University.

The village Uummannaq, also called the heart of Greenland. Photo: Arctic Desire Polarreisen / Unsplash.

The researchers investigated  this topic through the study of Swedish elites’ perceptions about the IOs engaged in problem-solving in the Arctic. They particularly focus on how these elites’ security concerns impact on their attitudes about these IOs.

“Studying Swedish elites, we find that elites’ national security concerns tend to reduce their support for problem-solving through non-security international organizations IOs,” said professor Lisa Dellmuth, Co-Director of the Stockholm Center on Global Governance.

Deeper understanding of Arctic and global governance

The study, Elite concerns and attitudes about problem solving through International Organizations, is published in Global Studies Quarterly. It draws on a unique dataset of surveys and interviews with Swedish elites, covering both societal and political elites involved in business, civil society, the public sector and research.

The research finds only limited evidence that national security concerns — such as the fear of military conflict involving Sweden — reduce confidence in IOs overall. However, broader security concerns, such as Arctic militarization, appear to increase elite support for IO problem-solving, particularly through organizations with a security mandate, like NATO and the United Nations.

“Our correlational and regression analyses also delve into the complexity of the relationship between security concerns and IO attitudes,” Lisa Dellmuth said. 

This study is the first to theorize and empirically test the link between elite concerns and their attitudes toward IO problem-solving, contributing to a deeper understanding of global governance at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions.

Read the study

For interviews or information, please contact

Lisa Dellmuth, Co-Director of the Stockholm Center on Global Governance (SCGG)
[email protected], +46 (0) 8-161 076

Ylva Rylander, Press Contact for Mistra Geopolitics, Stockholm Environment Institute
[email protected], +46 (0) 73-150 3384

Maria Cole, Communications Lead for Mistra Geopolitics, Stockholm Environment Institute
[email protected], +46 (0) 70-224 2012

Stockholm University

Lisa Dellmuth

Lisa Dellmuth is a Professor of International Relations at Stockholm University. Lisa is leading the Research School of Mistra Geopolitics. Her research focuses on legitimacy and redistribution in global governance, and global climate change solutions. She leads the 5-year research program GlocalClim (Glocalizing Climate Governance: The role of Integrated Governance for a Just and Legitimate Adaptation to Climate Risks) funded by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (Formas).

Telephone:+46 8 161 076

Stockholm University

Nicholas Olczak

Nicholas Olczak is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Economic History and International Relations at Stockholm University. He is also an associate fellow of the Asia Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI). His research interests include East Asian international relations, global governance and international cooperation on climate change, and constructivist theory.

SEI

Ylva Rylander

Ylva Rylander is the press contact for Mistra Geopolitics. Ylva is a Communications and Impact Officer at Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). As a core member of SEI’s communications team and previous Press Officer of SEI, Ylva writes and edits press releases and creates news stories. With over 15 years of experience in public relations, awareness raising and external communication, she also provides strategic advice to SEI and Mistra Geopolitics researchers to help them maximize the impact of their research.

Telephone:+4673 150 33 84

SEI

Maria Cole

Maria Cole is a Senior Communications and Impact Officer at Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in Stockholm. Maria is the Communications Lead for Mistra Geopolitics and leads the work package on Communications and Stakeholder engagement.

Telephone:+46 70 224 20 22

Authors and acknowledgment

The scientific study is written by Lisa Dellmuth and Nicholas Olczak, both researchers in Mistra Geopolitics and affiliated to the Stockholm Center on Global Governance (SCGG), hosted by Stockholm University. Original news text by SCGG, edited and amended by Nicholas and Ylva Rylander in Mistra Geopolitics.

The study is published in the scientific journal Global Studies Quarterly (Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2025) on March 18, 2025, and is a deliverable of the Mistra Geopolitics programme, Phase II, under the theme Oceans. Mistra Geopolitics is hosted by SEI and funded by Mistra – the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research.