Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Policy and Administration
Advisor
William J. Benet
Abstract
Large companies lobby U.S. Congress in more significant numbers than small companies and gain a clear advantage in funding acquisitions. But little is known about what conditions influence or disincentivize small and midsize businesses, those with revenues of $5 million to $1 billion, from participating in congressional lobbying. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the gap in the research literature by focusing on small and midsize defense company executives who address the conditions surrounding congressional lobbying. The study’s theoretical framework was Benet’s polarities of democracy, emphasizing polarity relationships of participation and representation and diversity and equality. The research question focused on facilitators to or inhibitors of lobbying that affect or influence small and midsize business participation in congressional lobbying. A generic qualitative design, with semistructured interviews of 10 small and midsize defense company executive leaders generated themes through multi-cycle coding. Themes included (a) awareness, with the subthemes of processes, and communications and connections; (b) outcomes; (c) investment; (d) experience; and (e) size and type of business. Congress can use these findings to inform policies supportive of improved training to raise executives’ congressional knowledge and awareness. Such policies could better support effective management of the polarity pairs considered. Implications for positive social change include informing Congress of potential systemic issues that either hinder or democratize executive communications with Congress, and will support both equal opportunity and fair competition in federal contracting.
Recommended Citation
Moran, Gene, "An Examination of Small and Midsize Defense Business Corporate Lobbying" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13612.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13612
