Corporate Democratic Action: Business Engagement in Times of Democratic Backsliding
In this session of the International Business Seminar Series, Dr. Benedikt Kapteina investigated how companies respond when democratic norms are challenged. He looked at the surprising ways some firms take on a civic role beyond their usual business concerns.
Dr. Kapteina’s presentation delved into corporate democratic action: firms speaking out publicly, promoting civic education internally, and forming alliances with civil society.
These initiatives involve risk, yet they are guided not only by market considerations but also by deeper, principled commitments to democratic values.
Dr. Kapteina examined in detail how and why companies take on these roles, the conditions that make such engagement possible, and the boundaries and challenges these initiatives encounter in practice.
Dr. Benedikt D. S. Kapteina is Postdoctoral Fellow at the Chair of Business Administration, esp. Responsible Management, at Dresden University of Technology (IHI Zittau).
His research explores how firms act as political actors when democracy comes under strain, focusing on corporate political activity, private governance, and corporate democratic action, and examining the conditions that enable or constrain such engagement. A central aim of his work is to understand how companies can contribute to democratic resilience.
He teaches courses connecting business, society, and responsible management. He holds a doctorate in International Business Administration from ESCP Business School in Berlin and has held visiting positions at Wharton and at the universities of Utrecht, Florida, and Delaware.