Solidarity in Strategy

Popular conceptions hold that capitalism is driven almost entirely by the pursuit of profit and self-interest. Though this may largely be true, it conflicts with our actual experience of the realities of capitalism - and is belied by the many associations that take an interest not just in their industry but also the people who maintain it. In "Solidarity in Strategy", Lyn Spill...

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Popular conceptions hold that capitalism is driven almost entirely by the pursuit of profit and self-interest. Though this may largely be true, it conflicts with our actual experience of the realities of capitalism - and is belied by the many associations that take an interest not just in their industry but also the people who maintain it. In "Solidarity in Strategy", Lyn Spillman works from extensive documentary archives and a comprehensive data set of more than four thousand trade associations from obscure corners of commercial life. In studying these diverse groups, from the Cotton Textile Institute to the Cracker and Biscuit Association, Spillman reveals an unexpected truth about capitalist society: protecting and promoting the profits of its member businesses are only two of the many functions these associations serve. More collegial than cutthroat, these associations band businesses together to develop strategies to promote their common welfare, and in doing so, they develop group identities and a sense of solidarity. Timely and far-reaching, "Solidarity in Strategy" leads us to question some of our most basic assumptions about economic life and forces us to consider how these communities of workers orient themselves in the intertwined worlds of business and society.

Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1. Solidarity, Strategy, and the Meaning of Business
Culture and Economic Interests
The Classical Origins of the Problem of Capitalist Interests
Culture and Interests in Contemporary Economic Sociology
Investigating American Business Associations
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Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1. Solidarity, Strategy, and the Meaning of Business
Culture and Economic Interests
The Classical Origins of the Problem of Capitalist Interests
Culture and Interests in Contemporary Economic Sociology
Investigating American Business Associations
American Business Associations
Census and Archive
Evidence and Inference
A Reader’s Guide
Part One: A New View of American Business Associations
Part Two: American Business Associations as Cultural Institutions
Part Three: American Business Associations and Economic Action
Part Four: American Business Associations in Politics
Overview
Conclusion
PART I. A New View of American Business Associations
CHAPTER 2. “Unstable, Redundant, and Limited”: The Puzzle of American Business Associations
Max Weber and Comparative Economic Governance
Organizational Forms
Cultural Orientations
Political Processes
Governance Theory
Economic Governance and Organizational Forms
Economic Governance and Cultural Orientations
Economic Governance and Political Context
Associations in Comparative Economic Governance
Strong Associational Governance—Germany and Japan
Historical Perspectives on American Business Associations
American Business Associations in the Nineteenth Century
Antitrust Law and Its Consequences
American Business Associations in the Early Twentieth Century
Conclusion
CHAPTER 3. Stable, Diverse, and Minimal: Contemporary Business Associations and Cultural Production
Associations and the State in the Late Twentieth Century
Business Associations as Organizations in the Late Twentieth Century
Size
Organization
Governance
Location
Business Associations as Voluntary Associations
Organizational Features of Contemporary American Business Associations
Membership: Size and Type
Staff Numbers and Types of Association
Organizational Differentiation, Membership Size, and Membership Type
Headquarters Location
Founding Decades
Sectoral Location
What Do Business Associations Do?
Orientations of Late Twentieth-Century Business Associations
Education
Sharing Information
Research
Standards and Accreditation
Public Relations
Lobbying or Monitoring Policy
Broad Civic Goals
Conclusion
PART II. American Business Associations as Cultural Institutions
CHAPTER 4. “Meet the Movers and the Shakers of the Industry”: The Social Construction of Business Interests
The Social Construction of Business Interests
Producing Categories and Practices
Producing Networking Opportunities
Producing Fields
Conclusion
CHAPTER 5. “A Special Camaraderie with Colleagues”: Presuming and Producing Solidarity
Solidarity in Occupational Community
Occupational Community and “Industries”
Producing Collective Identities
Collective Identity and Member Benefits
Occupationally Specific Interactional Engagement
Shared History and Symbols
Producing Norms and Status
Making Standards
Codes of Conduct
Awards
“Industry” Standing
Producing Camaraderie
Sociability in Meetings
Insider Jokes
Collective Responsibility: Charity and Scholarships
Remembering the Dead
Conclusion: Interest as Totem and Alibi
PART III. American Business Associations and Economic Action
CHAPTER 6. “To Grow the Industry”: Business Associations and Economic Interests
Economic Purposes of Association
The “Paradox” of Particularistic Economic Benefits and Theories of Transaction Costs
Collective Economic Interests and Political Conditions of Economic Action
Intra-“Industry” Strategies of Action
Education and Training
Sharing Information
Research
Certification and Accreditation
Variations in Intra-“Industry” Activities and Types of Associations
Strategic Vocabularies of Motive and Intra-“Industry” Strategies of Action
Particularistic Rationales for Intraindustry Strategies of Action
“Our Industry”: Collective Rationales for Intraindustry Strategies of Action
Particular Interests, Collective Interests, and the "Paradox" of Collective Action
Reconciling Particularistic and Collective Interests
Business Associations and the “Paradox” of Collective Action
Collective Interests and “Industry” Governance
“Industry” Coordination and Technological Change
The Politics of “Industry” Coordination
National Business Associations and Labor
The Politics of Industry Coordination and the North American Food Equipment
Manufacturers
Conclusion
CHAPTER 7. “The Highest Level of Professional Recognition”: Business Associations and Technical Excellence
Professional Claims and Market Interests
Professional Discourse and Strategies of Action in Business Associations
Vernacular “Professionalism” as Honorific
“Professionalism,” Information, and Research
“Professionalism,” Education, and Accreditation
Blurred Boundaries: Business or Professional Association?
Business as Professional, Professionals in Business
Business Associations and “Professional” Jurisdictional Claims
Business Associations and Abstract Knowledge Claims
The International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians
Abstract Knowledge, Procedural Knowledge, and Occupational Distinction
Conclusion
PART IV. American Business Associations in Politics
CHAPTER 8. “A Voice for the Industry”: Business Associations and Political Interests
Business Associations as Interest Groups
Politically Active Business Associations
Late Twentieth-Century Evidence
Political Orientations of Contemporary Business Associations
Politically Oriented Strategies of Action
Systematic Policy Monitoring
Intermittently Active Lobbying
Coalition Formation
Federal Agencies and Technical Issues
The Irrigation Association
Vocabularies of Motive for Political Engagement
The Democratic Code and the Public Good
Democratic Virtue and Industry Voice
Stewardship of the Public Good
The Irrigation Association and the Language of Stewardship
Conclusion
CHAPTER 9. “A Tense and Permeable Boundary”: Business Associations in the Civil Sphere
Business Associations and Public Opinion
Orientations to Public Opinion
Strategies of Action and the Meaning of “Public Relations”
Vocabularies of Motive, Public Relations, and the Public Good
The Firestop Contractors International Association
Business Associations and Civil Society
“Civic” Orientations and “Business” Identities
“Civic” Orientations in Business Associations
Civic Practices in Business Associations
Civically Oriented Vocabularies of Motive
The National Association of Real Estate Brokers
Conclusion
Conclusion
CHAPTER 10. The Power of Business Culture
A Primer on American Business Associations
Business Associations, Cultural Production, and Occupational Community
Vocabularies of Motive for Economic Action
Vocabularies of Motive for Intraindustry Strategies of Action
Vocabularies of Motive for Publicly Oriented Strategies of Action
Strategy and Solidarity in Economic Life
The Power of Business Culture
Appendix: Methodological Overview
Published Studies
Census of American National Business Associations
Data Sources and Case Inclusion
Informational Genre and Inference
Coding Development and Implementation
Focal Sample of National American Business Associations
1. Case Selection
2. Data Collection
3. Analysis
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
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