Definition
Business and employers’ associations are membership organizations representing the economic interests of enterprises (or employers) vis-à-vis public agencies, labor unions, and civil society in respect to economic policy, labor relations, and societal engagement using lobbying, bargaining, and public relations.
A business association (BA) is a voluntary organization of enterprises (or entrepreneurs) that represents the interests of (for-profit) business in the economic and political arena and provides services to its members (Demougin et al. 2019). As trade associations, these organizations promote the economic interests of a particular sector, be it in relation to international trade (fostering export, limiting import, fighting tariffs), favorable economic conditions (tax concessions and subsidies), or sector-specific issues (industrial norms, joint research and development, advertisement). Peak associations unify these BAs under one umbrella and represent their interests...
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Ebbinghaus, B., Koos, S. (2023). Business and Employers’ Associations. In: List, R.A., Anheier, H.K., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_58-1
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