Overview

Business and Populism analyses the relationship between right wing populism and business with a focus on business responses and strategies in the face of the global populist turn. In the neoliberal era business had become accustomed to favourable economic policy regimes and governance arrangements that facilitated business influence on key policy issues. The rise of populist movements in various parts of the world is widely perceived as a significant challenge to policymaking, mainstream political parties and even to liberal democracy. Yet we know very little about the impact of populism on business, beyond the fact that the anti-elite challenge of populism frequently targets business with policies to restrict globalization, outsourcing, and labour migration whilst at the same time embracing capitalism, low taxes, and deregulated markets. Populists also glory in presenting themselves as authentic representatives of the people, symbolizing this in their demotic language, their rejection of standards of 'polite' society and liberal 'woke' values, including attacking core intermediary institutions such as independent central banks, the judiciary, the civil service, universities and expert knowledge, and a free press central to post-1945 versions of liberal democracy. When faced with these disruptions and the risks they pose for business, how does business respond? Does it choose to support or challenge populists in different countries? This volume advances the debate by providing empirical studies of the impact of right-wing populism on business. Finally, it considers whether populism will continue to be influential and how its success might impact on business strategy and structure.

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9780192894335

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This book is a ground-breaking addition to a proliferating literature, filling an important gap not only on how populism (in particular on the extremes of the right) deals with business but also how business responds in a wide range of cases and countries. The book demonstrates that there are no easy generalizations to be made, but nonetheless develops analytic categories and interaction mechanisms that are essential to getting a grip on the problem. A must-read! * Vivien A. Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University * The populist tenor of contemporary politics presents a challenge both for organized business and for how social scientists study its strengths and weaknesses. This volume provides an overview of this challenge that is both global and comprehensive. It is sure to be a point of reference for scholarship on this exciting frontier in the study of capitalism and democracy. * Pepper D. Culpepper, University of Oxford * Feldmann, Morgan, and their collaborators have produced a valuable contribution to our understanding of populism and how it affects business. In an area often focused solely on why populism exists, this book takes the exploration of the effects of populism to the next level, defining how businesses around the world deal with the uncertainty that populism creates. A bridge between political science and international business, this volume is sure to become a resource for scholars of populism, political risk, and business alike. * Christopher Hartwell, University Professor, Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland and Professor of International Business Policy, ZHAW School of Management and Law, Zurich, Switzerland * Feldmann and Morgan's volume offers a rich collection of essays exploring the complex relationship between populism and business. The chapters in Part 1 cover a range of countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas, while Part 2 takes a thematic approach, with chapters on topics such as climate change, business associations and interest representation, and trade. They mobilize Albert Hirschman's framework of exit, voice and loyalty as a way to understand the range of business responses to populism, especially when it threatens business interests. The editors approach populism as a mode of politics in which actors claim to speak for a 'virtuous people' that has been betrayed and exploited by a 'corrupt elite.' This capacious conceptualization enables Business and Populism: The Odd Couple to encompass analyses of political figures, contexts and issue areas that vary in important and consequential ways. * Jennifer Bair, Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia, USA * The literature on the 21st century 'populist turn' has become truly library-filling by now. Yet, surprisingly, the political economy of populism remains vastly understudied. Magnus Feldmann and Glenn Morgan's edited volume makes an important contribution to start covering this gap. The interdisciplinary approach adopted, and the broad range of empirical cases presented allow the reader to gain invaluable insights into the variegated nature of populist economics and the diverse ways in which they affect businesses and how the latter react to them. The book will provide scholars of the political economy of populism with some important answers, much inspiration, and countless avenues for further research. * Gerhard Schnyder, Professor of International Management & Political Economy, Loughborough University London *

Author Information

Magnus Feldmann is currently a Senior Lecturer in Politics in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies at the University of Bristol. He has previously been a Research and Teaching Fellow at Harvard University and held visiting fellowships at Uppsala University and the Estonian Business School. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Post-Communist Economies. His research focuses on political economy, business and politics, public policy and post-communist politics. His articles have appeared in a range of journals, including World Politics, Politics and Society, Comparative Political Studies and New Political Economy as well as various edited volumes. Glenn Morgan is currently an Honorary Professor in the School of Management, University of Bristol. He has previously been Professor of Management at the School of Management, University of Bristol, Professor of International Management at Cardiff Business School and Professor of Organization Studies at Warwick Business School. He has been a visiting Professor at a number of institutions, including Copenhagen Business School where he was `Velux Visiting Professor 2014. He was President of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics in 2014-15 and Editor of the journal Organization from 2003-2008.

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