27

This article studies the devices grounded in new regulation techniques aimed at linking the effectiveness of a norm and the feeling of legitimacy and motivation the norm creates for the actors. Our hypothesis is that any political community develops narratives to justify the legitimacy of its collective rules. Narratives are used to fuel the actors’ motivation while showing them the image of their own participation. It seeks effective implementation of reforms, while ensuring the reflexive autonomy of the actors. These functions of narratives are analyzed and criticized through the case study of ISO 26000 standard, an international standard aimed at giving guidance to organizations regarding their social responsibility.