Business Associations

Business associations are cooperative organizations of profit-seeking firms and businesspeople. Many associations are based on particular industries; others unite different sorts of businesses across industry boundaries. These associations may be local, regional, national, or transnational. They offer economic governance aimed at supporting the activities of members and sometimes promoting them in their broader institutional environments. Their size, organization, and goals vary significantly according to the cross-national political context and local industry conditions. All business associations are cultural producers of information and solidarity for members. Many business associations develop strategies of action oriented toward the collective economic and professional interests of members. Some business associations also function as political interest groups and as actors in civil society.