Alike as chalk and cheese?
Viewed from afar, the business elites of France and Britain are about as similar as the chalk cliffs of Dover and a ripe Camembert. France’s is composed of graduates of les grandes écoles who often seem to owe more allegiance to the group from which they are drawn than to the international corporations they work for. Members of Britain’s corporatist elite, on the other hand, are only loosely connected to their fellow members. What’s more, they are principally focused on the creation of shareholder value, while their French counterparts lean towards dirigiste notions of social responsibility.
Yet, says this new book on the subject by three British academics, there are a surprising number of similarities between the two groups. For a start, like most elite groups they show a remarkable ability to perpetuate themselves. Neither is about to lose its grip on power, at least not for a while. Then, as corporate governance has moved higher up the boardroom agenda, so the common ground between the two elites has tended to increase. The role of independent, non-executive directors, for example, has become more important on both sides of the Channel.
See full Article.
Posts
