Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T11:30:27.746Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

When Do Firms Prefer Individual Action to Collective Action in The Pursuit of Corporate Political Strategy? A New Perspective on Industry Concentration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Mine Ozer
Affiliation:
SUNY Oneonta
Seung-Hyun Lee
Affiliation:
University of Texas at Dallas

Abstract

In this study we advance the current research on corporate political strategy by examining how firms decide on their level of engagement in political action. This study proposes a contingency approach that identifies conditions in which firms prefer individual action to collective action in their pursuit of political strategy and introduces a framework that addresses this preference. Our results show that even in concentrated industries, a firm's preference of individual action over collective action varies when government contracts or research and development intensity are important considerations.

Type
Article
Copyright
Copyright © V.K. Aggarwal 2009 and published under exclusive license to Cambridge University Press 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aiken, L.S., and West, S.G. 1991. Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Alt, J. E., Carlson, F., Heum, P., and Johansen, K. 1999. “Asset Specificity and the Political Behavior of Firms: Lobbying for Subsidies in Norway.” International Organization 53: 99116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andres, G. 1985. “Business Involvement in Campaign Finance: Factors Influencing The Decision To Form A Corporate PAC.” PS: Political Science and Politics 18: 215219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aggarwal, V. K., Keohane, R. O., and Yoffie, D.B. 1987. “The Dynamics of Negotiated Protectionism.” American Political Science Review 81: 345–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balkin, D., Markman, G., and Gomez-Mejia, L. 2000. “Is CEO Pay in High Technology Firms Related to Innovation?Academy of Management Journal 43: 11181129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barnett, M.L. 2006. “Finding a Working Balance between Competitive and Communal Strategies.” Journal of Management Studies 43: 17531773.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barney, J.B. 1986. “Strategic Factor Markets.” Management Science 32: 12311241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barney, J.B. 1991. “Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage”. Journal of Management 17: 99120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boies, J. L. 1989. “Money, Business, and The State: Material Interests, Fortune 500 Companies, and The Size of PACs.” American Sociological Review 54: 821833.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonardi, J.P., Hillman, A.J., and Keim, G.D. 2005. “The Attractiveness of Political Markets: Implications for Firm Strategy.” Academy of Management Review 30: 397413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chung, K.H., and Pruitt, S.W. 1994. “A Simple Approximation of Tobin's q .” Financial Management 23: 7074.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coen, D. 1997. “The Evolution of the Large Firm as a Political Actor in the European Union.” Journal of European Public Policy 4: 91108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coen, D. 2007. “Empirical and Theoretical Studies in EU Lobbying.” Journal of European Public Policy 14: 333345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
David, P., Hitt, M.A., and Gimeno, J. 2001. “The Influence of Activism by Institutional Investors on R&D.” Academy of Management Journal 44: 144157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damania, R., Fredriksson, G., and Osang, T. 2005. “Polluters and Collective Action: Theory and Evidence.” Southern Economic Journal 72: 167185.Google Scholar
Deeds, D.L. 2001. “The Role of R&D Intensity, Technical Development and Absorptive Capacity in Creating Entrepreneurial Wealth in High Technology Starts-Ups.” Journal of Engineering and Technology Management JET-M 18: 2947.Google Scholar
Dimaggio, P.J., and Powell, W.W. 1983. “The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields.” American Sociological Review 48: 147160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dudley, G., and Richardson, J. 1999. “Competing Advocacy Coalitions and the Process of ‘Frame Reflection’: A Longitudional Analysis of EU Steel Policy.” Journal of European Public Policy 6: 225248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eismeier, T. J., and Pollock, P.H. 1986. “Strategy and Choice in Congressional Elections.” American Journal of Political Science 30: 197213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esty, D.C., and Caves, R.E. 1983. “Market Structure and Political Influence: New Data on Political Expenditures, Activity and Success.” Economic Inquiry 21: 2438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finkelstein, S., and D'Aveni, R.A. 1994. “CEO Duality as A Double-Edged Sword: How Boards of Directors Balance Entrenchment Avoidance and Unity of Command.” Academy of Management Journal 37: 10791108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Getz, K.A. 1997. “Research in Corporate Political Action: Integration and Assessment.” Business and Society 36: 3272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilligan, M.J. 1997. “Lobbying as A Private Good with Intra-industry Trade.” International Studies Quarterly 41: 455474.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grant, W. 2005. “Pressure Groups: A Politics of Collective Consumption.” Parliamentary Affairs 58: 366379.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grier, K.B., Munger, M.C., and Roberts, B.E. 1991. “The Industrial Organization of Corporate Political Participation.” Southern Economic Journal 57: 727738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grier, K.B., Munger, M.C., and Roberts, B.E. 1994. “The Determinants of Industry Political Activity, 1978–1986.” American Political Science Review 88: 911926.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hadani, M. 2007. “Family Matters: Founding Family Firms and Corporate Political Activity.” Business and Society 46: 395428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, W., and Mitchell, N.J. 2000. “Disaggregating and Explaining Corporate Political Activity: Domestic and Foreign Corporations in National Politics.” American Political Science Review 94: 891903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, W., Mitchell, N.J., and Drope, J.M. 2005. “The Logic of Private and Collective Action.” American Journal of Political Science 49: 150167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, D.M. 2003. “Political Representation in Concentrated Industries: Revisiting The “OlsonianHypothesis.” Business and Politics 5: 261286.Google Scholar
Henderson, A., and Fredrickson, J. 1996. “Information Processing Demands as A Determinant of CEO Compensation.” Academy of Management Journal: 39, 575606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillman, A.J. 2003. “Determinants of Political Strategies in US Multinationals.” Business and Society 42: 455484.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillman, A., and Hitt, M. 1999. “Corporate Political Strategy Formulation: A Model of Approach, Participation, and Strategy Decisions.” Academy of Management Review 24: 825843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillman, A.J., Keim, G.D., and Schuler, D. 2004. “Corporate Political Activity: A Review and Research Agenda.” Journal of Management 30: 837858.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillman, A.J., Zardkoohi, A., and Bierman, L. 1999. “Corporate Political Strategies and Firm Performance: Indications of Firm-Specific Benefits from Personal Service in The US Government.” Strategic Management Journal 20: 6781.3.0.CO;2-T>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacomet, D. 2005. “The Collective Aspect of Corporate Political Strategies: The Case of U.S. and European Business Participation in Textile International Trade Negotiations.” International Studies of Management and Organization 35 (2): 7893.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, J. L., Daily, C. M., and Ellstrand, A. E. 1996. “Boards of Directors: A Review and Research Agenda.” Journal of Management 22: 409438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, J. 2008. “Corporate Lobbying Revisited.” Business and Politics 10: 123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lavie, D. 2007. “Alliance Portfolios and Firm Performance: A Study of Value Creation and Appropriation in the U.S. Software Industry.” Strategic Management Journal 28: 1871212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenway, S.A., and Rehbein, K. 1991. “Rent Seekers in The U.S. International Trade Commission Escape Clause Investigations.” The International Trade Journal 4 (2): 119142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenway, S.A., and Rehbein, K. 1991. “Leaders, Followers, and Free Riders: An Empirical Test of Variation in Corporate Political Involvement.” Academy of Management Journal 34: 893905.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lord, M. D. 2000. “Corporate Political Strategy and Legislative Decision Making: The Impact of Corporate Legislative Influence Activities.” Business and Society 39 (1): 7693.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowery, D., Gray, V., Anderson, V., and Newmark, A. J. 2004. “Collective Action and the Mobilization of Institutions.” Journal of Politics 66: 684705.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, S.J. 1998. “Creating Barriers for Foreign Competitors: A Study of The Impact of Anti-Dumping Actions on The Performance of U.S. Firms.” Strategic Management Journal 19: 2537.3.0.CO;2-C>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masters, M.F., and Baysinger, B. P. 1985. “The Determinants of Funds Raised by Corporate Political Action Committees: An Empirical Examination.” Academy of Management Journal 28: 654–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masters, M.F., and Keim, G.D. 1985. “Determinants of PAC Participation Among Large Corporations.” Journal of Politics 47: 11581173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masters, M.F., and Keim, G.D. 1990. “Variation in Corporate PAC and Lobbying Activity: An Organizational and Environmental Analysis.” In Business and Politics, edited by Preston, L.E. Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press, Inc.Google Scholar
Meyer, J.W., and Rowan, B. 1977. “Institutional Organizations: Formal Structure As Myth and Ceremony.” American Journal of Sociology 83: 340363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, N. J., Hansen, W., and Jepsen, E. 1997. “The Determinants of Domestic and Foreign Corporate Political Activity.” Journal of Politics 59: 10961113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mizruchi, M.S. 1989. “Similarity of Political Behavior among Large American Corporations.” American Journal of Sociology 95: 401424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mizruchi, M.S., and Koenig, T. 1991. “Size, Concentration, and Corporate Networks: Determinants of Business Collective Action.” Social Science Quarterly 72: 299313.Google Scholar
Munger, M.C. 1988. “On The Political Participation of The Firm in The Electoral Process: An Update.” Public Choice 56: 295–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Netter, J., Wasserman, W., and Kutner, M.H. 1989. Applied Regression Models. Homewood: Irwin.Google Scholar
Oliver, C., and Holzinger, I. 2008. “The Effectiveness of Strategic Political Management: A Dynamic Capabilities Framework.” Academy of Management Review 33: 496520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, M. 1965. The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and The Theory of Groups. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Pearce, J.A., and Zahra, S.A. 1992. “Board Composition from A Strategic Contingency Perspective.” Journal of Management Studies 29: 411438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penrose, E. 1959. The Theory of The Growth of The Firm. New York: Wiley Peteraf, M.1993. “The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage: A Resource-Based View.” Strategic Management Journal 14: 179191.Google Scholar
Pijnenburg, B. 1998. “EU Lobbying by Ad Hoc Coalitions: An Exploratory case Study.” Journal of European Public Policy 5: 303321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pittman, R. 1977. Market Structure and Campaign Contributions. Public Choice 31: 3751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rehbein, K., and Schuler, D.A. 1999. “Testing The Firm as A Filter of Corporate Political Action.” Business and Society 38: 144166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, J. 2000. “Government, Interest Groups and Policy Change.” Political Studies 48: 10061025.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salamon, L.M., and Siegfried, J.J. 1977. “Economic Power and Political Influence: The Impact of Industry Structure on Public Policy.” American Political Science Review 71: 10261043.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salisbury, R.H. 1984. “Interest Representation: The Dominance of Institutions.” American Political Science Review 78: 6476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schuler, D.A., Rehbein, K., and Cramer, R.D. 2002. “Pursuing Strategic Advantage Through Political Means: A Multivariate Approach.” Academy of Management Journal 45: 659673.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaffer, B. 1995. “Firm-Level Responses to Government Regulation: Theoretical and Research Approaches.” Journal of Management 21: 495514.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaffer, B., Quasney, T.J., and Grimm, C.M.Firm Level Performance Implications of Nonmarket Actions.” Business and Society 39: 126143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, D.F. 1997. “The Relationship between Firm Investments in Technological Innovation and Political Action.” Southern Economic Journal 63: 888903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tucker, A. 2008. “Trade Associations as Industry Reputation Agents: A Model of Reputational Trust.” Business and Politics 10: 126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vogel, D. J. 1996. “The Study of Business and Politics.” California Management Review 38: 146165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wernerfelt, B. 1984. “A Resource-Based View of The Firm.” Strategic Management Journal 5: 171180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westphal, J. 1999. “Collaboration in The Boardroom: Behavioral and Performance Consequences of CEO-Board Social Ties.” Academy of Management Journal 42: 724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, G.K. 1990. “Corporate Political Strategies.” British Journal of Political Science 20: 281288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoffie, D.B. 1987. “Corporate Strategies for Political Action: A Rational Model.” In Business Strategy and Public Policy: Perspectives from Industry and Academia, edited by Marcus, A., Kaufman, A. and Beam, D. New York: Quorom Books.Google Scholar
Zardkoohi, A. 1985. “On The Political Participation of The Firm in The Electoral Process.” Southern Economic Journal 51: 804817.CrossRefGoogle Scholar