Business Elite Research Articles

Effect of interventions to improve safety culture on healthcare workers in hospital settings: a systematic review of the international literature

BackgroundIn an era of safety systems, hospital interventions to build a culture of safety deliver organisational learning methodologies for staff. Their benefits to hospital staff are unknown. We examined the...

Locating the 1948 Economic Agreement of Bogotá: The Rise and Fall of Latin America’s International Economic Law Project

Abstract This article claims that Latin America developed a competing International Economic Law project in the 1940s. These ideas and practices served the region to imagine its economic development process. Through the work of economists and lawyers – especially international lawyers – Latin America envisioned a future of industrialization and designed a strategy to make it happen. In the 1940s, many Latin Americans were enthusiastic about the prospects of industrialization; however, the consensus was that this objective required regional cooperation to reshape international trade and foreign investment laws among themselves and, especially, vis-à-vis the United States. This article explores this regional momentum focusing on the 1948 Economic Agreement of Bogotá, one of the most important international economic law-making efforts in the Western Hemisphere. In Bogotá, many Latin American governments insisted that states, not markets or foreign investors, should plan the region’s economic future. The United States and the US business elite disagreed.

Tycoon candidates, electoral strategies, and voter support: a survey experiment in South Africa

Abstract Why do voters shun some business tycoons yet elect others into power? As structural conditions facilitate the entry of super-wealthy actors into politics, the differential electoral support across business elites suggests a puzzle. We conceptualize four mechanisms behind the popular support for “tycoon candidates”: competence signaling, framing, fame, and clientelism. To test their relative efficacy, we leverage an experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey in South Africa, an important developing democracy where certain tycoons are successfully running for office. We find that, across distinct electoral appeals by tycoon candidates, clientelism is particularly effective, especially for mobilizing support from the less affluent voters. Racial framing significantly decreases support among white voters. Meanwhile, tycoons’ competence signaling or fame do not help them at the ballot box. By identifying the micro-level underpinnings of voter support across tycoon candidates, our study contributes to the literatures on business and politics, voting behavior, and clientelism.

Victory through conquest in 1960’s Brazil: Business interest associations, moral panic, and policymaking

We analyse the impact of business interest associations (BIAs) on policymaking through coordinated efforts. We focus on short films produced in the early 1960s by the influential Brazilian think tank, Institute for Research and Social Studies (IPES; 1961–1972). Founded, funded, and managed by the business elite, IPES aimed to counter the alleged ‘advance of Soviet communism’ by shaping public opinion and destabilising the political landscape, ultimately paving the way for the 1964 businessmen-military coup, prioritising business interests over workers’ welfare. These short films were widely disseminated through various channels, serving as a means to propagate moral panic. Exploring the historical engagement of BIAs sheds light on the complex relationships among the State, governments, and business, showcasing diverse voice strategies employed by BIAs. The article also delves into the contemporary use of videos and partisanship among executives, highlighting the films’ significance as historical documents for crafting new management histories.

Genealogy of Islamic Business Organization: The Institutional Approach Towards Current Islamic Corporate Law

This article examines the social foundation which posed challenges to the adoption of corporate form as a business entity within the framework of Islamic legal tradition. This article employs juridical-normative research analysis with socio-legal approach. This paper concludes: (1) The corporate legal form was not required by the medieval Islamic legal system as well as the case in Western Europe due to several reason such as: an institutional vacuity; withdrawal of community capital resources into waqf institutions; stagnancy in institutional development of business organizations in Islamic law; and inability of the Muslim business elite to consolidate power. (2) In classical fiqh discussions, Islamic business organizations do not have legal personality. The closest approximation to corporate legal entities found in Islam have been bayt al-māl (public treasury), mosque property, and waqf (trusts).  Recently, the scholars have approved the corporate form on the basis of fiqh principles of qiyas (analogy) and istihsan, or masaliha mursalah (public interest). 

More than Money: Political Participation by Elite Business Families

Business families directly participating in political roles have considerable influence in various countries. We explore political business families’ unique economic and social characteristics through a social embeddedness lens. We build a comprehensive dataset of Chilean business families and identify their direct political participation from 1989 to 2020. We find limited support for economic features tied to political participation, whereas social characteristics, such as nationally rooted origins, religious affiliations, and family generation, are shared features of political business families. We extend the literature by analyzing how business families with greater social embeddedness act as legitimate representatives of the big business class in the state.

Irish Diaspora Business Elite philanthropy: boon or bane?

Irish Diaspora Business Elite philanthropy: boon or bane?

Maximizing the Public Relations Agency—Client Relationship in the Sports Industry

ABSTRACT Despite the undoubted importance of Public Relations (PR) in the sport industry and the increasing reliance on external PR agencies, the study of the PR agency – client relationship within this context remains in its infancy. In this study, we focus on the question, how can PR agencies develop and maintain strong relationships with their sport clients for the benefit to both parties? Qualitative data generated through semi-structured interviews with twenty “business elite informants” comprising senior PR agency executives reveal a new multi-layered conceptualization of the PR agency – client organization relationship. The findings uncover a “surface” layer to the relationship captured by a client satisfaction – dissatisfaction continuum, a core layer of relationship management and trust, to the deepest layer characterized by power (im)balance between the two parties. Uncovering the complex, nuanced and multi-layered dynamics of the relationship highlights effective PR outsourcing practices to be utilized for future value maximization.

State autonomy, economic reform & business elite influence in the GCC

ABSTRACT This study challenges traditional rentier state theory and contributes to a new generation of scholarship focused on state-business relations by evaluating the relationship between different degrees of state policymaking autonomy and business elite influences in political and economic institutions. The findings of this study address central policy questions about economic reform in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Using primary data from my case studies of Qatar and Kuwait, I posit two arguments. First, states with lesser business elite influence over political institutions have more autonomy to realise their economic reform goals; a less dominant and influential business elite circle will more likely submit to state-led economic reform initiatives. Greater business elite dominance, meanwhile, tends to create a powerful bloc undercutting economic change, such as labour reform or new regulatory frameworks, that would benefit the long-term stability of the state. Second, rentier states with higher degrees of state-led capitalism have more autonomy to conduct economic reforms; state-led capitalism produces more coherent and cohesive state apparatuses that can incentivize business elite cooperation.

Dynamics of innovation over time: Evidence from the Spanish business elite

Although Spain was not a leading country in technology, it generated numerous innovations, which must be analyzed in order to understand its particular development trajectory. This paper makes a contribution in this line by quantifying the innovation activity of the country's business elite between c. 1870 and 1970. In addition, we have sought to verify whether some of the well-known debated dynamics of innovation over time are fulfilled in this case. First with a descriptive analysis and then through the VAR technique, it has been found that innovation occurred in waves, as Schumpeter pointed out despite Kuznets; major innovations were followed by incremental advances; process innovations predominated in the early stages of modern development and product innovations gained preponderance later; and that indigenous innovation favored the importation of technology. A structural break test has identified sharp fluctuations in innovation, apparently related to institutional factors and relevant changes in the economy.

Uruguay’s business elites in pandemic: cracks in the glass ceilings?

Resumen Uruguay tiene grandes empresas transnacionales en sectores estratégicos, donde la participación femenina en posiciones directivas ha sido muy baja en comparación con otros países latinoamericanos. Este estudio indaga sobre percepciones de dirigentes de empresas respecto a inequidades de género en puestos ejecutivos. La investigación muestra que las percepciones de “techos de cristal” son más críticas entre mujeres que hombres, así como identifica barreras atribuidas a determinantes socioculturales y segregación económica, tanto como variables organizacionales de las empresas. Este estudio consistió en una encuesta de actitudes y carreras realizada a 158 dirigentes de un listado de 530 grandes empresas en Uruguay.

Centralization of power as a result of the development of the egyptian elite during 2014-2023. Forward to the past?

This article attempts to analyze the key groups of the Egyptian elite in 2014-2023 in accordance to the elite theory. A.F. El-Sisi was first elected to the presidency of Egypt in 2014 after the 2013 military coup that overthrew former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (in position 2012-2013). There is an opinion that with the advent of A.F. El-Sisi to power there was a rollback of the political system to pre-revolutionary times until 2011. Nevertheless, as a result of an analysis, the article shows significant differences between the regimes of Presidents H. Mubarak and A.F. El-Sisi, especially in relation to the opposition. Despite the relative success in security issues, Egypt remains in a tense economic situation, rising inflation and dependence on external debt (among the creditors both the Gulf States and international institutions like IMF). The mega-projects in accordance with the “Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Egypt Vision 2030” do not have enough positive impact on the economy. In this regard, Egypt is facing a complex of structural geopolitical and economic challenges. The paper demonstrates the relationship between key state institutions, and also reveals the strengthening of the role and influence of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) in the political process. At the same time, GIS itself underwent serious personnel changes - infiltration by the military intelligence of the Armed Forces (where the president came from).Despite the repeating resistance of certain parts of the elite (both business elites and the religious establishment), President A.F. El-Sisi consistently promotes the centralization of power.

Приоритетные векторы региональной экономической интеграции в современном мироустройстве

. In the changing geopolitical reality, fragmentation of the economic space is taking place, and favorable opportunities are being created for the formation and strengthening of integration associations of states in different regions of the world. The subject of the study is the features of integration processes in transforming foreign economic conditions (using the example of the EAEU). The relevance of the study is due to the new geopolitical situation in the world, which exacerbates the need to find ways to improve international economic relations by intensifying the activities of interstate integration associations (unions) of friendly countries. The basis of the «core» of the new (integral) world economic order are China and India. Based on an analysis of the development of the situation on a global scale, a conclusion has been formulated about the emergence of new trends in international economic relations. The fact of the destruction of Russia’s economic ties with a number of developed Western countries, which were based on the interests of the largest business elites and had been functioning smoothly for several decades, has been established. The timeliness and progressiveness of the creation and active functioning of new integration unions of partner countries in the economic space of the globe has been proven. The basic conditions for the development of interstate cooperation: the scale of the economy, the growth of its complexity and connectivity, as well as its leading incentive – increasing public welfare – have been determined. The positive role of the association of EAEU member states operating in the Eurasian space and its place in strengthening regional international integration is substantiated. The increasing influence of the consensus positions of sovereign countries in pursuing responsible economic and financial policies is shown. The timeliness of making agreed decisions on mutually beneficial terms by friendly countries for the long term is being proven. Examples of accumulated invaluable experience of mutual assistance in the political and economic fields of interstate cooperation are presented. Conclusions about the advisability of intensifying activities to prepare for the transition of economic and financial relations of the EAEU member countries and other international integration associations to a new technological structure have been made. Recommendations on the advisability of forming a common vision among partner countries of objective trends in the dynamically changing reality in international economics and finance have been formulated. It would be advisable to focus further regional economic research on a more detailed study of the process of fragmentation of the world economic space and building prospects for international interaction in the future based on the application of system analysis methodology. This approach opens up opportunities for innovation in the financial and economic sphere and deepening integration processes between states from different regions of the world on the basis of partnerships and versatile mutually beneficial cooperation.

Последние надежды: адаптация бывшего купечества в советском обществе в 1920-е гг.

The process of adaptation of representatives of the former merchant class in Siberia in Soviet society in the 1920s is considered. The article presents various examples of adaptation of the largest representatives of the pre-revolutionary business elite, based on such a source as the case of the restoration of electoral rights, the author supplemented the factual material on the activities of some representatives of the former merchants after the establishment of Soviet power in Siberia. For the first time, an attempt was made to consider the reasons for the return of former merchants to entrepreneurship in the conditions of the NEP. The author comes to the conclusion that the first half of the 1920s was the most favorable period for the adaptation of this category of “former”.

Comparison of healthcare quality for uninsured and underinsured children through community health centres in Canada and the USA: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionChildren and youth who are uninsured or underinsured in Canada and the USA have limited options where they can receive healthcare. In both countries, community health centres (CHCs) have been...

Máté Rigó, Capitalism in chaos. How the business elites of Europe prospered in the era of the Great War

Máté Rigó, Capitalism in chaos. How the business elites of Europe prospered in the era of the Great War

Rooted Globalism: Arab–Latin American Business Elites and the Politics of Global Imaginaries. By Kevin Funk. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2022. 286p. $75.00 cloth, $32.00 paper.

Rooted Globalism: Arab–Latin American Business Elites and the Politics of Global Imaginaries. By Kevin Funk. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2022. 286p. $75.00 cloth, $32.00 paper.

The making of neoliberal legality: the legal imagination of business elites and the ‘social constitutionalization’ of ‘free enterprise’ in Latin America

AbstractThe ‘free enterprise’ system is a normative cornerstone of many Latin American political constitutions and a formative principle of neoliberal legality. However, the way in which this economic model shapes the legal field and conceptions of the rule of law remains understudied. Though lawyers, judges, and legal experts have played an important role in the legal buttressing of the free enterprise model, this article explores the shaping of neoliberal legality from the periphery of the juridical system. We argue that the rise of neoliberal legality in Latin America owes much to the legal imaginary crafted by business associations. In line with this, we examine the ‘norm entrepreneurship’ undertaken since the 1940s by an organization barely noted in mainstream histories of neoliberalism: the Inter‐American Council for Commerce and Production (IACCP). Drawing on the concept of social constitutionalism and archival work, we investigate the IACCP's role in the struggle to give business activities social legitimacy and establish free enterprise as a socio‐legal norm and a source of public law.

How mobile is the transnational business elite? Evidence from Swiss banking executives

AbstractOver the last two decades, a growing literature has examined the emergence of a transnational business elite. However, the pathways of transnational mobility have not been fully characterized. In this article, we use a combination of sequence analysis and the concept of a career script to investigate the geographical mapping and organizational contexts in which transnational mobility occurs. To achieve this, we rely on a database of 186 executives from the 28 largest Swiss banks, as well as 20 interviews with chief human resource officers and 15 interviews with banking executives. Our findings contribute to relativize and differentiate the phenomenon of transnationalization of business elites by underlining the importance of the career context and by identifying distinct interpretations of international career resources according to different types of banks.

How do location, accreditation, and faculty size affect business schools’ ranking?

This study analyzed the impact of location, accreditation, and faculty size on the ranking of elite business schools. It used descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (analysis of covariance) to establish the effect of location on the business schools’ ranking while also controlling the influence (impact) of the covariates (accreditation and faculty size) on the outcomes. It found that location and accreditation type do not significantly affect the business schools’ ranking. The size of the faculty impacted the rankings of the programs. However, the pairwise comparison of the critical factors shows that faculty size and accreditation are more impactful in European business schools than in China, the United States/Canada, and other regions. Finally, smaller business schools (mainly in Europe) pursue Triple Crown accreditation to compete with more extensive, U.S.-based programs, favoring only the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation.