Global governance and communicative action: a study of democratic participation during planning for the Lyon-Turin rail link

Organisation-stakeholder engagement during planning of a high-speed rail link between France and Italy is described and analysed in this paper. Conceptualising organisation-citizen engagement as a form of deliberative democracy, the study's theoretical framework draws upon literature from communication, social and political science. Following a review of governance for transnational organisation-stakeholder engagement, communication methods used by one transnational organisation, Lyon-Turin Ferroviaire (LTF), to engage in 'discursive legitimacy' with affected parties, is studied. A qualitative case study approach examines whether LTF's engagement with stakeholders provides opportunities for democratic participation rather than creating a democratic deficit in the public sphere. Results point to a lack of mechanisms through which transnational policy makers can be held accountable-leading in this case, to a legitimacy crisis for institutions involved, threatening their ability to justify the economic and transportation viability of the project. This article is of interest to academics in communication and social sciences, managers working in an international context and communication professionals.