Elite Networks in Germany and Britain

Abstract

This study considers the social organisation of the economic elite in Germany and Britain. Specifically, the analysis focuses on the internal structure of this social group, which is termed an `elite network'. The resources on which the dominance of the economic elite is based are bureaucratic power, ownership and social capital. In institutional capitalism the power of managers is based not only on their hierarchical position within large corporations, but also on the fact that they `represent' ownership within the network of associated firms. Additional topics considered in the course of the analysis include the forms of social control to which the economic elite is subject, the degree of internal competition and co-operation, and the stability of networks over time (circulation of the elite). The analysis shows how bureaucratic control over a company is linked with ownership of a company in the context of specific network configurations. These network configurations vary between countries and lead to differing forms of managerial control within institutional capitalism.