Business Actors in Peace Mediation Processes

• Author: Rina M. Alluri,Andrea Iff
• Published date: 01 June 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12085
• Date: 01 June 2016

Business Actors in Peace

Mediation Processes

ANDREA IFF AND RINA M. ALLURI

ABSTRACT

Even though the relevance of business actors in peace

processes is increasingly acknowledged, analysis of their

particular roles and contributions remain sparse in peace

mediation literature. This is despite the fact that such

knowledge would be highly relevant for supporting media-

tion processes such as those ongoing in Colombia or the

Philippines. This article looks at the involvement of busi-

ness actors in mediation processes by tracing analysis

along the entry points for involvement, the different roles

that business actors can play and the limitations they face.

The empirical data shows that business actors mainly play

a role during the pre- and mediation phase and therein

often as a support-giver to the mediation process. Further-

more, most of the involvement does not take place at track-

1 level but rather at track-2 mediation processes, where

mainly local business play an important role. In contrary to

what is postulated by some of the literature, the relevance

of utilitaristic motives is not problematic; rather a mone-

tary motivation can also foster the credibility in a political

process where a lot is at stake.

Andrea Iff is Head of the Statehood, Business and Peace program at swisspeace in Bern,

Switzerland and a Lecturer at the University of Basel. E-mail: andrea.iff@swisspeace.ch.

Rina M. Alluri is an independent Peacebuilding Consultant and an Associate Expert with

swisspeace in Bern, Switzerland. E-mail: rinaalluri@gmail.com.

V

C2016 Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.,

350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA, and 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK.

Business and Society Review 121:2 187–215

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INTRODUCTION

Just as mediation efforts are not only limited to securing peace

between conflict parties (Hellm€

uller and Ahere 2014), busi-

ness efforts are not only limited to making profits (Scherer

and Palazzo 2011). Businesses can play an important role in peace

processes (Fort and Schipani 2002; Oetzel et al. 2010), however

their particular contributions to mediation negotiations remain lim-

ited to a few studies (Gutierrez 2004; Iff et al. 2010; Banfield et al.

2006; Rettberg 2013; Tripathi and G€

und€

uz 2008). Further, despite

the acknowledgement that internationally supported mediation

processes need to be better coordinated yet more inclusive to other

actors [such as regional organizations, nongovernmental organiza-

tions NGOs (see in this journal, Paffenholz 2014), religious organiza-

tions or academic institutions], there is no mention of business

actors (Moon 2009; Unit ed Nations General Assem bly 2012).

While it can be argued that businesses are negatively affected by

conflict and thus have self-interest in a peaceful society (Joras

2009), empirical data on businesses active in peacebuilding yields

mixed results. The overarching question of this “in theory” article is

how are business actors involved in mediation processes? This

question is further split into three subquestions that deal with the

main issues a mediator is confronted with: First, regarding so

called entry points, how do mediators and business actors start

engaging with one another? Second, which roles and activities are

business actors particularly useful for and at which stage of the

mediation? Third, regarding limitations of business actors’ involve-

ment, which are the characteristics of business actors that hinder

their involvement in mediation processes?

The term “business actor” is used as a collective term, capturing

different types of corporate institutions and individuals, namely

companies, business associations and interest groups as well as

individual entrepreneurs and business executives. It captures

domestic as well as international business actors, the latter being

more thoroughly investigated by current research. All sectors and

branches are included. A company is understood as an entity

formed with the purpose of doing business.

1

The mediation process is understood as a part of the broader

peace process or conflict transformation efforts that comprises addi-

tional activities, for example, with a more long-term developmental

188 BUSINESS ACTORS IN PEACE MEDIATION PROCESSES