Business And Government In Canada

Boundaries between business and government are increasingly fluid and often transcended. Yet it remains important to acknowledge and make appropriate use of the fundamental differences between these sectors. Five areas that offer the most critical challenges to business and government in Canada today are corporate governance, lobbying and influence, security and privacy, public-private partnerships, and geography and development. This book is an exploration of the systemic dynamics of the inter-sectoral governance that shape the collective performance of Canada's national jurisdiction. Three perspectives of the relational dynamics between business and government, drawn from leading Canadian scholars, are adopted in order to frame the examination of independence, influence, and interdependence. This book makes a case for the advancement of “virtuous hybrids,” while pointing out the challenges that remain in terms of the formation and successful performance of such hybrids in Canada, a challenge that calls for political leadership as well as social learning. An informed and engaged public, wearing multiple hats (i.e. as voter, shareholder, employee, activist etc.) would be the ultimate arbiter of sectoral and collective performance.

Appropriate for courses in “Business and Government,” found in business or economics departments. Written from a business perspective for business students, this text provides an up-to-date, practical guide to studying, understanding an d strategically managing Canadian business-government relations. It is an empirically based examination of this integral variable in the strategic management of business and government enterprises today.

"The Canadian government's pursuit of economic growth is central to its economic policy and to the nature of its relationship with the business community. The government depends on business investment for economic growth vital to the prosperity of citizens, the generation of tax revenues, and enough public satisfaction to win re-election. Businesses depend on the government for stable sets of rules that are necessary for success. They often look to governments for protection against threats to their well-being and for assistance in competing with other businesses. In this new edition of Uneasy Partnership, Geoffrey Hale examines the interdependent relationship between Canadian governments and businesses, considering the political role of the government in the economy and what effect this has on the business environment. Hale provides an overview of the historical dimensions of Canada's political economy and relations between government and business, giving readers background to consider topics such as corporate power, the implications of Canada's economic structure, regional economic differences, and the role of interest groups in political and policy processes, among others. In a thoughtful and well-researched style, Hale lays out how the partnership between business and government in Canada is an uneasy one--and one whose capacity to adapt to ongoing changes is essential in an uncertain world."--

From the Foreword: This study is not intended to be a blanket condemnation of crown corporations. Rather, it recommneds that such a corporation should not be put into orbit by government without careful appraisal of its purposes, social and financial; provision of a capable management and board of directors; and an understanding of standard professional accountability. Nearly every government in Canada has committed errors in judgement, having created certain crown corporations with disastrous results, costing the taxpaying public hundreads of millions of dollars.