Elite business networks and the field of power: A matter of class?

We explore the meaning and implications of Bourdieu’s construct of the field of power and integrate it into a wider conception of the formation and functioning of elites at the highest level in society. Corporate leaders active within the field of power hold prominent roles in numerous organizations, constituting an ‘elite of elites’, whose networks integrate powerful participants from different fields. As ‘bridging actors’, they form coalitions to determine institutional settlements and societal resource flows. We ask how some corporate actors (minority) become hyper-agents, those actors who ‘make things happen’, while others (majority) remain ‘ordinary’ members of the elite. Three hypotheses are developed and tested using extensive data on the French business elite. Social class emerges as persistently important, challenging the myth of meritocratic inclusion. Our primary contribution to Bourdieusian scholarship lies in our analysis of hyper-agents, revealing the debts these dominants owe to elite schools and privileged classes

Pathways to power: class, hyper-agency and the French corporate elite

publication-status: Acceptedtypes: ArticleAuthor's post-print draft. Definitive version published by Sage; available online at http://online.sagepub.com/This paper explores pathways to power from the perspective of the French corporate elite. It compares those who enter the ‘field of power’ with those who fail to reach this final tier. Adopting an innovative econometric approach, we develop and test three hypotheses. These underline the pivotal role of external networks and the strategic advantage of hyper-agency in maintaining power; and indicate that social origin remains a powerful driver in determining success. Birthright and meritocracy emerge as two competing institutional logics which influence life chances. Higher-status agents benefit from mutual recognition which enhances their likelihood of co-option to the extra-corporate networks that facilitate hyper-agency. The objectification of class-based differences conceals their arbitrary nature while institutionalizing the principles informing stratification. We re-connect class analysis with organizational theory; arguing that social origin exerts an enduring influence on selection dynamics which inform processes of hierarchical reproduction in the corporate elite and society-at-large

Climate Change and the Cost of Capital in Developing Countries

This report represents the first systematic effort to assess the relationship between climate vulnerability, sovereign credit profiles, and the cost of capital in developing countries. Climate risks are multi-dimensional, covering a range of geophysical, social, and economic issues. The intensification of these risks and the degree to which they are accurately priced by financial markets are of increasing concern to global economic stability. Integrating climate risks into financial decision-making is crucial to long-term economic and financial stability as these risks affect return on investment. Broader recognition of these risks will be necessary for sustainable development. For every USD 10 paid in interest by developing countries, an additional dollar will be spent due to climate vulnerability. This financial burden exacerbates the present-day economic challenges of poorer countries. The magnitude of this burden will at least double over the next decade. The climate consequences on poorer countries’ cost of capital and overall fiscal health need to be addressed. A range of existing policy and market responses can build climate resilience in vulnerable countries and deliver demonstrable financial benefits. Investments that enhance the resilience of climate vulnerable countries are crucial to not only helping vulnerable countries deal with the consequences of climate risks, but also bring down their cost of borrowing

Innovation Mosaic L3C

An incubator strategy for economic development that fosters existing small businesses and new start-up ventures in depressed areas throughout Michigan. This report explored key factors and elements found in successful efforts to stimulate and revitalize economic activity, with a focus on a model that is entrepreneurially themed, technologically facilitated, philosophically supportive of the "Triple Bottom Line", and stimulates placemaking

Grupos de Soporte Nutricional en Colombia: resultados del nutritionDay 2011-2016

Nutritional care through interdisciplinary nutritional support groups and under standards and clinical guidelines has been shown to improve patient outcomes and safety with a positive financial impact on health institutions. However, the world tendency is to the diminution of these groups. The objective of this article is to present the information about the status and evolution of the nutritional support groups in Colombia obtained in the nutritionDay in the period 2011 to 2016.El cuidado nutricional a través de grupos interdisciplinarios de soporte nutricional y bajo estándares y guías de manejo ha demostrado mejorar los desenlaces clínicos, la seguridad del paciente y disminuir el costo de atención en las instituciones de salud; aunque la diminución de estos grupos es la tendencia. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar la información acerca del estado y progreso de los grupos de soporte nutricional en Colombia y en el mundo obtenida en el  nutritionDay en el periodo comprendido entre 2011 y 2016