Channels of dialogue between international businesses and national governments : The implications for domestic reforms and international relations in the case of Russia

2018. No. 5.

Yakovlev A. A., Freinkman L., Ershova N. V.

We explore the role and organizing capacity of foreign business associations (FBAs) in the Russian context. Considering the potential role of FBAs as effective intermediaries during time of aggravated international relations, the paper examines the problems and mechanisms of foreign firms’ interaction with key national partners in their host countries and describes the conditions that lead to effective dialogue between FBAs and national governments. The main phases and factors of evolution are identified for Russia’s two main channels of foreign firms’ collective actions: The Foreign Investment Advisory Council, which is chaired by Russia’s prime minister, and FBAs. A comparative analysis of the efficiencies of each channel finds that political, rather than economic or institutional, factors play the dominant role in explaining the shifting efficiency of collective action of foreign firms over time.

Keywords: business climate, public diplomacy, collective actions, business associations, foreign firms, channels of lobbying

Publication based on the results of: Factors of Competitiveness and Growth of Russian Manufacturing Enterprises (2018)