Features of business association advocates in Africa

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the attempts to describe the features and characteristics of business associations in Tanzania which are aiming to influence public policy. It concludes that those attempts, whilst thought provoking, do not go far enough to be of real use to practitioners and offers an improved model.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses empirical evidence, gathered from interviews with business associations, supplemented by reviewing their research reports and policy position papers and cross referenced through interviews with public officials.

Findings

Activities and approaches of successful business associations are described and used to draw out characteristics which might enable associations to be categorised in one of four development stages based on their approach to influencing public policy.

Research limitations/implications

The new model is conceptual and work is now required to assess its validity.

Practical implications

Donors, in their design of advocacy support programmes, already focus support on associations in one or two stages of development. An improved model will make it easier for them, and practitioners, to categorise business associations. Importantly, it will provide indicators for how business associations are expected to improve as a result of the support that they are offered and thus to assess the success of the support programme.

Originality/value

There has been little research and little discussion about the features and characteristics of business associations that might lead to success in influencing public policy and thus in improving the enabling environment. This paper contributes to filling that gap.

Citation

Irwin, D. (2014), "Features of business association advocates in Africa", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 306-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2012-0019