Night Mayor or Nightmare? Addressing Stakeholders Through Night-time Governance

Sammanfattning: This study examines the differing structures of night-time governance organisations observed in Western cities. The study notes that previous research lacks clarification as to the structural differences of night-time governance organisations and further lacks the inclusion of how stakeholders are addressed. Therefore, this study aims to clarify and identify how these different structures address the stakeholders in the night-time economy. The relevance of this paper stems from the growing recognition of the night-time economy and the modern means of governing the night. This is done through conducting 12 anonymous, semi-structured interviews with prominent figures of Western situated night-time governance organisations both inside and outside the government. The empirical material is then interpreted through the lens of stakeholder theory and the conceptualisations of power. Thus this study presents the following findings: The night-time governance organisation categories pertaining to whether the organisation was government-affiliated or non-government affiliated showed the greatest differences. However, there are additional differences observed within these categories. Government-affiliated night-time governance organisations varied with bureaucratic positioning and the stakeholders they identified. Furthermore, non-government affiliated night-time governance organisations differ through organisational classification as industry-specific, non-industry-specific, civil organisations and government-owned entities. They further differentiated in which stakeholders they identify and address. It was found that the night-time governance organisation addressed stakeholders through mediation and representation techniques. The findings of this study have implications for both city administrations looking to establish or support night-time governance organisations and for night-time industry stakeholders looking for favourable market conditions.