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***with apologies for cross posting*****
The Politicization of Firms
1st Workshop on the politicization of firms to be held in Paris 6th & 7th May 2015
Theme: “The role of think tanks in institutionalizing the firm as a dominant actor”
About the OLS workshop
This workshop on the politicization of firms aims at discussing and advancing cutting-edge research on important topics in the field by bringing together a small selected group of scholars, who will have the opportunity to interact in depth and share insights in a stimulating and scenic environment.
Co-Organizers:
- Sbastien Picard, Toulouse School of Management
- Vronique Steyer, ISG Paris
- Xavier Philippe, NEOMA Business School
- Mar Prezts, EMLYON Business School
Keynote Speakers:
We are delighted to receive Professor Christina Garsten (Stockholm University) and Professor Marie-Laure Djelic (ESSEC Business School).
Professor Christina Garsten’s speech will summarize her ongoing research on corporate globalization and global governance. More specifically, her speech will focus on how think tanks intervene in global governance.
Professor Marie-Laure Djelic’s speech will give an updated overview of her work on the institutionalization of neoliberal think tanks and their role in shaping contemporary political ideology (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2492010)
Call for proposals
Research on the political role of firms is not new. We can observe that scholars, especially in political science, have oscillated between the idea that the exercise of power by business is a threat to democracy and the idea that free market economy is a condition for democracy (Coen et al., 2010). The extent and the nature of theoretical contributions vary thus over time and space in response to prevalent ideological frameworks and the state of the economy. Yet, today, despite several attempts (e.g. Coen et al., 2010 and Hart, 2010), we are still lacking a comprehensive “political theory” of the firm.
Indeed, although past research made a significant advance to our understanding of firms’ political behaviors, Hart (2010) reminds us that most explanations are in fact already provided by classical theories in organization studies such as the rational actor theory (Baron, 1995; Becker, 1976; Godwin & Seldon, 2002; Hansen et al., 2004; Olson, 1965), the contracts theory (Coase, 1937; Heinz et al., 1993; Jensen & Meckling, 1976; Kersh, 2002; Williamson, 1971), or the behavioral theory (Cyert & March, 1963; Epstein, 1969; Fligstein, 1990; Martin, 2000; Schuler, 1999; Simon, 1957; Suarez, 2000). In that sense, we could argue that these theories would preclude the need for a political theory.
In fact, most studies that search to explain the political actions of firms have essentially relied on the rational economics assumption that firms are a means of maximizing shareholder value. However, an emerging stream of research in organization studies starts to show that political behaviors of firms may go beyond the influence over the state to maximize rents and/or set the advantageous conditions for operating business (Baumgartner & Leech, 1998; Lowery, 2007). For instance, while Berry (1999) and Vogel (1995) argue that firms may be at the roots of environmental issues, Nyberg et al. (2013) show that some Australian firms have recently “incorporated citizens” to influence the debate over climate change in this country and support or counter carbon regulation. Are we witnessing a shift or an evolution of firms’ role? Would the political behavior of firms be more subtle than influencing for maximizing their bottom lines?
Roy Suddaby in a keynote speech at the Glasgow SMS special conference in 2013 argued that between the rational economic and the stakeholder approach of the firm “lies an empirical reality in which the modern firm has quietly adopted many of the core behaviors and attributes that were once attributed to the nation-state. Many of these activities are unrelated to their core economic function. For example, Fortune 500 firms have world-class museums and art collections, and universities that engage in pure research. They have armies and police forces that are often contracted by government providers”. In the face of this reality we could then ask if firms have an institutional role in the sense of organizing control over human affairs. Wouldn’t be the definition of a political act? And if so, would it be a new behavior or was it just hidden in the background?
This workshop aims at bringing together a small selected group of scholars to further explore the political role of the firm, based on theoretical and empirical understandings of what firms really do as political and/or institutional actors. We welcome submissions from a variety of disciplines and perspectives. In particular, we are interested in submissions that tackle the political actions of firms from process and practice perspectives, but also by contributions that mobilize theoretical lenses other than rational economics theories. We also encourage submissions that can craft an interdisciplinary conversation and make philosophy, sociology, anthropology, literature etc. come into play in analysis and conceptualizations of the firm as a political actor.
In line with our keynotes speakers, we would like for this first workshop on the politicization of the firm to encourage submissions that focus on think tanks and their role in shaping the political environment. Indeed, if past research has already highlighted the importance of tierce organizations to gain leverage for firms’ agenda (Barley, 2010), they have mostly focused on lobbying activities. However, recent contributions show that think tanks can also be used by firms to both advance their market priorities and their political interests (Garsten & Srbom, 2014), while still acting as an important vehicle in spreading neoliberal ideology (Djelic, forthcoming).
We also invite papers from a range of theoretical and methodological approaches that explicitly address the politicization of the firms, for example by addressing one of the following issues:
- Papers that explore other determinants that the maximization of shareholders’ value, that lead to a political involvement of firms
- Papers that examine how the political roles of firms have evolved over long periods of time
- Papers that offer problematized reviews of the relevant literature fields
- Papers that offer rich empirical examples of political and/or institutional behaviors of firms, escaping classic referenced types (such as lobbying or influence on politicians)
- Papers that examine how engaging in new areas (education, arts, defense…) can be a part of firms’ political actions and how this relates to more ‘classic’ strategies
- Papers that search for the reasons pushing firms to enter into this new areas
- Papers that explore the social consequences of these new roles undertaken by firms
- Papers that examine how other types of organization resist or attempt to control this firms’ hegemony
This list is by no means exhaustive or limitative. We look forward to reading your ideas and contributions!
Submission guidelines
We will consider unpublished original work proposals relating to the above topics of interest. International and global perspectives are encouraged. Proposals can be conceptual or empirical, quantitative or qualitative. Published papers or papers that were accepted for publication prior to the submission deadline will not be considered for the conference. We seek to accept a relatively small number of contribution that target top tier academic journals.
An abstract of no more than 1,000 words for proposed contribution should be submitted by January 15th, 2015 at the following email: [log in to unmask]. Each submission will be reviewed. Abstract will be evaluated based on the potential contribution to the topic of interest. The submission should contain authors’ names, institutional affiliations, email and postal addresses. Authors will be notified of acceptance or otherwise by February 6th, 2015. Full papers must be submitted by March 30th, 2015.
Conference format
The program features prominent keynote speakers who will present their research on the topic of interest.
Accepted papers will be assigned to interactive sessions. Each author(s) will be given 15 minutes to present the paper. Following the presentations, designated discussants who will have carefully read the papers will present their main comments and provide suggestions for improving the papers and getting them ready for publication. This would be followed by A 10 minutes traditional Q&A. In addition, at the end of the presentation, the chair of the session will also offer an integration of the papers presented in order to open to a 30 minutes general discussion with the audience.
Location and accommodation
The venue of the workshop is the Chateau de Crcy-la-Chapelle (webpage) in the heart of the little Venise Briarde, 30 minutes from Paris.
The Workshop venue is comfortable, beautiful and situated in a typical French castle atmosphere. It will provide an ideal setting for participants to relax and engage in authentic and creative dialogues.
We will arrange for each author or for one co-author:
- Networking Luncheons on Wednesday and Thursday
- Diner reception on Wednesday night
- A bright room for the night, and breakfast on Thursday morning
Transportation remains at the expense of each author but a vehicle from the center of Paris to the accommodation venue will be arranged.
Payment facility will be provided for other co-authors willing to join the workshop.
References
Baron, D. P. (1995). Integrated strategy: market and non market components. California Management Review, Winter, pp. 47-65
Baumgartner, F. R. & Leech, B. L. (1998). Interest niches and policy bandwagons: patterns of interest group involvement in national politics. Journal of Politics
Becker, G. S (1976). The economic approach to human behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Berry, J. (1999). The new liberalism and the rising power of citizen groups. Washington: Brookings Institute
Coase, R. (1937). The nature of the firm. Economica, 4, pp. 386-405
Coen, D., Grant, W. & Wilson, G. (2010). Political Science. Perspectives on business and government. In Coen, D., Grant, W. & Wilson, G. (eds) The oxford handbook of business and government (pp. 9-34). Oxford: Oxford University Press
Cyert, R. M. & March, J. G. (1963). Behavioral theory of the firm. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall
Djeclic, M.-L. (forthcoming)
Epstein, E. M. (1969). The corporation in American politics. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall
Fligstein, N. (1990). The transformation of corporate control. Cambridge: Harvard University Press
Garsten, C. & Srbom, A. (2014). The Politicization of Corporations: The Case of the World Economic Forum. Paper presented at the 5th LAEMOS conference, Cuba.
Godwin, R. K. & Seldon, B. J. (2002). What corporations really want from government: the public provision of private goods. In Cigler, A. J. & Loomis, B. A. (eds), Interest group politics, pp. 205-224. Washington: CQ Press
Hansen, W. L., Mitchell, N. J. & Drope, J. M. (2004). Collective action, pluralism and the legitimacy tariff. Political Research Quarterly, 57, pp. 421-429
Heinz, J. P. et al. (1993). The hollow core: Private interests in national policy-making. Cambridge: Havard Business Review
Jensen, M. C. & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm: managerial behavior, agency cost and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3, pp. 305-360
Kersh, R. T. (2002). Corporate lobbyists as political actors: a view of the field. In Cigler, A. J. & Loomis, B. A. (eds), Interest group, pp. 225-248. Washington: CQ Press
Lowery, D. (2007). Why do organized interests lobby? A multi-goal, multi-level theory of lobbying. Policy, 39, pp. 29-54
Martin, C. J. (2000). Stuck in Neutral: Business and the politics of human capital investment policy. Princeton: Princeton University Press
Nyberg et al. (2013)
Olson, M. (1965). The logic of collective action: Public good and the theory of groups. New York: Harvard University Press
Schuler, D. A. (1999). Corporate political action: rethinking the economic and organizational influence. Business and Politics, 1, 83-97
Simon, H. A (1957). Administrative behavior. New York: MacMillanSuarez, S. L. (2000). Does business learn? Tax breaks, uncertainty and political strategies. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press
Vogel, D. (1995). Trading up: Consumer and environmental regulation in a global economy. Cambridge : Harvard Business Press
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Our forthcoming paper on political connectedness and business performance
in Business and Politics may be of interest to the members of the AIB list.
zcan, G.B. and Gndz, U. 2014. "Political Connectedness and Business Performance: Evidence from Turkish Industry Rankings",
Business and Politics, Vol. 16/4, December.
http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bap.ahead-of-print/bap-2013-0037/bap-2013-0037.xml
Abstract
This paper examines the degree to which political connections affect business rankings through a statistical analysis of Turkey’s industry rankings between 2003 and 2011. The analysis demonstrates that business
performance is associated with connectedness through industry and firm level data. We show that political connectedness varies according to the firm’s channel of access to obtain favouritism either through direct personal ties or institutional networks. Ideological
motivations emerge to be significant in mobilizing, shaping and tying firm behaviour to broader political agendas. In the conclusion we discuss the impact of deepening connectedness on long-term business fortunes and political institutions.
Best wishes,
Dr. Gl Berna zcan
Reader in International Business and Entrepreneurship
School of Management, Royal Holloway
University of London
Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX
Tel : +44 (0)1784 443476
Fax: +44 (0) 1784 349854
http://tinyurl.com/gulbernaozcan
Dear all
I’m delighted to announce several editorial changes and new initiatives on Emerald journals that will be of interest to the community.
Cross Cultural Management will now be edited by Rosalie Tung, Simon Fraser University.
Rosalie is the incoming President of the Academy of International Business, and will take over as Editor in Chief in 2015.
Research in Global Strategic Management, formerly edited by Alan Rugman, will now
be edited by Bill Newburry, Florida International University.
International Journal of Commerce and Management will now be edited by Hussain
Rammal. Hussain is Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia, and Vice-President of ANZIBA. We anticipate a remodelling of the journal with revised positioning statements to be circulated shortly.
Annals in Social Responsibility, a new journal to be published in 2015, will be edited by Tim Devinney, University
of Leeds, and Marc Orlitzky, University of South Australia.
And as previously announced,
Multinational Business Review is now edited by Rajneesh Narula, Mark Casson and Alain Verbeke. As with Research in Global Strategic Management, this change is made
in light of the passing of Alan Rugman.
We’ll be sure to circulate more details about specific journals in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, please consider submitting your papers – details can be found in the links above.
Martyn
Dr Martyn Lawrence
Publisher
Ethics, International Business and Strategy
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Tel: +44 (0) 1274 785158
Web:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/martynlawrence
LinkedIn:
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/martynlawrence
Avram S. Tucker Endowed Chair in Strategy and Leadership
The George Washington Business School
The George Washington Business School is seeking applications and nominations for a distinguished senior scholar to fill the position of full professor with tenure as the inaugural Avram S. Tucker Chair in Strategy and Leadership.
We expect that the newly endowed Tucker Chair will lead the faculty toward innovative research in strategy and/or management, mentor junior faculty and doctoral students, and show exemplary leadership for all aspects of academic life, in and out of the School.
Basic Qualifications: Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in a field of strategy, management, or closely related disciplines and have: an outstanding record of scholarly publications in the most prestigious journals in the candidate’s discipline; national and international recognition in the scholarly community commensurate with a chaired professor; an excellent record of prior teaching; and a record of academic and service leadership.
Salary will be commensurate with the qualifications of the successful candidate. Remuneration package includes fringe benefits and medical and dental benefits.
To be considered, please complete a confidential, online application at http://www.gwu.jobs/postings/24850 and upload a cover letter and CV. Confidential review of applications will begin from December 28, 2014, and continue until the position is filled. References will not be contacted without first notifying the candidate.
For questions, please contact the search chair, Professor Sok-Hyon Kang (sokkang@gwu.edu; Tel: 202-994-6058). To nominate other candidates, please send an email with the candidate’s name and email address to TuckerSearch@gwu.edu. Employment offers are contingent on the satisfactory outcome of a standard background screening.
The George Washington University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is my very last reminder! The submission deadline for your papers for the 27th Annual IABD Conference is:
November 24th, 2014.
The conference will take place from March 26 - 28, 2015. The attached document will give you more information on the conference and the paper submission process.
You can submit your manuscript to the conference right on the website. Papers can either be submitted for the purposes of presentation/proceedings publication at the conference and the best of these papers will be published
in our six academic journals which are associated with IABD and indexed in Cabells. Please visit our website at
www.iabd.org to see a list of these journals, and to find out further details about our 2015 conference. You can also contact the appropriate Track Chair, relevant to your field of expertise, should you have any questions,
regarding the submission process or the conference itself. Contact details are included on the attached document.
Thank you for your attention.
Kind regards
Prof. Dr. Karin Reinhard
Director of Conference Promotion - IABD
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Dear colleagues,
Please find attached the first Call for Papers for the AIB SSA 2015 Conference on “AFRICA DIRECT INVESTMENT: Trends, Prospects, Challenges and Policy Issues” which will take place from August 26-28, 2015, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
First Call for Papers – The AIB SSA 2015 Conference
In recent years much attention has been paid to the surge in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the so-called BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – in Africa. However, there is a significant unfolding development that has yet to receive as much attention: the marked increase in African firms investing in Africa, or Africa Direct Investment. According to Ernst & Young, intra-African FDI is growing faster than FDI from any other region and has increased over 30 per cent since 2007; in a similar vein, in the period 2003/13, there were more greenfield investments from African firms (994) than there were from Asian (including Chinese and Indian) firms (959), according to fDi Markets.
With the decades-long dream to expand intra-African trade and investment – evident in the dozens of treaties, regional trade agreements and public speeches of African political leaders – finally becoming a reality, there is a need to understand what factors are driving this trend, as well as the prospects, challenges and policy implications. Our 2015 annual conference therefore aims to shed light on this topical issue. We seek conceptual and empirical papers, as well as teaching case studies and panels from scholars, business professionals, policy makers, doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students which contribute to a greater understanding of the issues contained in the theme above.
We also welcome submissions that address wider international business and management
agendas and geographical contexts.
Submissions should be made to (only) one of the following tracks:
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2015
I am looking forward to seeing you all in Johannesburg.
All the best,
Ulf Richter
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Dr. Ulf Henning Richter
Assistant Professor of Strategy
Nottingham University Business School China
Office: AB 356
199 Taikang East Road
Ningbo, Zhejiang, China 315100
Tel: +86 574 88186342
Mob: +86 1886785 9353
Fax: +86 574 88180188
The Practices, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability (PPPS) Book Series focuses on the local and global challenges, business opportunities, and societal needs surrounding international collaboration and sustainable development of technology. This series brings together academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, policy makers and government officers aiming to contribute to the progress and proficiency in sustainability.
Climate change is now widely recognized as the major environmental problem facing the globe. In large part this is due to the production of energy using fossil fuels. The ultimate question of most policy makers now is how to reduce the climate change vulnerability of socio-economic systems in the most cost-effective manner. This interdiscipliner book will engage with this main question and focus particularly on public policies that would reduce environmental polution, induce environmental innovation, and green development.
The primary objective of the proposed publication is that of Reference material for scholars, public and private sector practitioners, and university students who need to better understand the growing importance of climate change mitigation, renewable energies, clean technologies, and green development.
The primary intended audience is scholars, practitioners, and university students who have the need for qualified Reference material regarding the subject matter of the proposed publication as outlined above. While having academic rigor, the book will be written in a way such that it can be understood by non-academics and non-specialists; essentially, it will also be appealing to the general public.
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before November 30, 2014, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by February 28, 2015. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.
Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication,Handbook of Research on Green Economic Development Initiatives and Strategies. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process.
Full chapters may be submitted to this book here.
All proposals should be submitted through the link at the bottom of this page
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference," "Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2016.
Dr. M. Mustafa Erdoğdu at [log in to unmask]
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