Global value chains (GVCs) are more complex than ever, as they often cross countries with authoritarian regimes, which makes it difficult to govern sustainability in GVCs. To tackle this, GVCs organize in cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) where non-governmental organizations (NGOs) typically have a supporting role. Yet, emerging research shows that NGOs can also have a more prominent role in these partnerships. In this paper, we study how NGOs work within an ‘unnatural partnership’ with the government in authoritarian context, i.e. Ethiopia, to orchestrate change in GVCs. Studying this case through an institutional work lens, the analysis shows a process of relational work where the NGO establishes legitimacy, creates maneuvering space, and empowers lower-level government, which eventually leads to the enhanced sustainable eco-system in the context of GVCs. This study contributes to the literature by theorizing the NGO-government partnership as a new form of governance, where NGOs are inside agents of change within authoritarian contexts, using relational work with governments to orchestrate sustainable GVCs.
