Eksternexternaal

Eksternexternaal is a neologism used in Dutch-language scholarship to denote a category of external influence that is experienced and treated as internal. The term blends ekstern and externaal to emphasize the increasingly blurred boundary between what lies outside a system and what is effectively internalized through governance, funding, or social norms. It is discussed in fields such as organizational theory, governance studies, and sociolinguistics as a way to analyze how external actors, rules, or pressures become woven into the interior logic of institutions without a formal change of ownership or membership.

In practice, eksternexternaal describes situations where external forces assume internal-like roles. Examples include external consultants who operate within routine decision processes as if they were permanent staff, or international guidelines that shape policy formulation while remaining outside the domestic bureaucratic structure. In digital ecosystems, platform moderation or algorithmic governance may be externalized yet exert strong internal control over user behavior and organizational outcomes.

Mechanisms that foster eksternexternaal include funding dependencies, contractual obligations, accreditation schemes, reputational incentives, and standardization processes. These factors can align external expectations with internal practices, creating a sense of internal legitimacy and authority even though the external actor or rule remains formally outside.

Critics argue that the term can obscure power dynamics by re-labeling external influence as internal, while proponents contend that it helps illuminate how influence operates across organizational boundaries.

See also: externality, internalization, boundary-work, platform governance.