LIST OF PANELS

This panel draws from the well-received "Business Lobbying in the European Union" by Coen et al. (2021) to discuss its key strengths, weaknesses, and contribution to the field. Simultaneously, it draws from the book's themes to address a wider discussion on future trajectories in the field. As such, this panel serves a dual role.

First, it serves as a more traditional meet-the-authors panel, which engages with the book’s thesis, its analytics approach, and impact. To that end, the panel discusses the book’s innovative analytic approach, and it’s triple-layered assessment of business government relations (macro, meso, micro). It also addresses, its unique theoretical and methodological blend that draws from political science, public admin, and business & management studies. At the macro level, the book explores over 30 years of increasing business lobbying and explore the emergence of a distinct European business-government relations style. At the meso level, it assesses how the role of EU institution, policy types, and the policy cycle shape the density and diversity of business lobbying activity. Finally, at the micro level we seek to explore how firms organize their political affairs functions and mobilized strategic political responses.

Second, the panel addresses the potential of theoretical fusions similar to the books, as we move forward in the field. There is a common space where business and management studies, public admin. and political science can meet to assess the multifaceted nature of business-government relations, particularly in the intricate EU context but not exclusively. To put this differently, as we attempt in the field to understand why, when, and how a nuanced interaction takes places, more elaborate conceptual tools will be necessary. Significantly, by no means is this limited to the theoretical tools employed in the book. Thus, drawing from the book and its themes the panel also discusses potential fruitful research avenues in business-government engagement.

Chair: David Coen

Presenters: Matia Vannoni, Alexander Katsaitis

Discussants: Claudio Radaelli, Jacint Jordana