Corporate Effects on Conflict Prevention and Resolution

• In Event: Civil War Dynamics

Abstract

This paper explores the role businesses play in creating peaceful societies. If we are to create an accurate understanding of conflict processes, we must account for these actors. I build on the rational choice theory of civil war onset and termination and draw from business research to understand the role private firms play in preventing civil wars. Firms are uniquely situated in their ability to raise the cost of violence, and proactive firms can significantly increase a country’s peace years. At the same time, an active private sector can make it significantly harder to reach an agreement for states with ongoing conflict, as they act as an additional veto player in the bargaining process. I test these arguments on original cross-national data. The findings emphasize the need for political scientists to examine further the role of the private sector in many of the topics we study and generate a more complete picture of conflict and its resolution.

Author

• Molly M. Melin, Loyola University, Chicago