Networks of Corporate Power: A Comparative Assessment

Abstract

This paper reviews recent developments in the analysis of business power and the corporate elite, focussing on those approaches rooted in the techniques of social network analysis. A typology of research strategies is outlined, and this is illustrated through discussions of North American studies. It is argued that results from these studies cannot be generalized across all societies. This is illustrated with reference to European and Asian studies, where a number of variant patterns of corporate development can be discerned. Particular attention is given to Japan and the development of its pattern of corporate organization, which contrasts sharply with the dominant Anglo-American pattern.