The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI): exploring global extractive firms’ interpretation of EITI initiatives in Ghana’s mining sector amidst institutional complexity

Abstract

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global governance initiative that has the primary goal of promoting greater transparency and accountability concerning the use of royalties paid by global extractive firms to governments. Global extractive firms are largely supportive of EITI and most African countries are members of the initiative. However, research findings presented in this study concerning the Ghana EITI (GHEITI) suggest that global extractive firms are not seeing stronger visibility or impact of their payments to government reflected in mining areas. A thematic analysis of interviews conducted with mining managers from four global mining firms operating in Ghana demonstrates that managerial perspectives centre on how GHEITI relates to securing and maintaining the legitimacy of the business of mining. Through the adoption of an institutionalist approach, the paper demonstrates the broader theoretical and empirical implications for global extractive firms operating in complex institutional settings in African countries where EITI is implemented.