Background
Business membership organizations, including employers' organizations, are facing many challenges in today's increasingly crowded, globalized economy. Across all regions, the labour market is changing, along with traditional partners and old certainties. Many enterprises, especially small and medium sized or new enterprises, remain to be convinced that there is value in paying to belong to a traditional business membership organization, threatening the value proposition that organizations have relied on for so long.
Today, many different voices are speaking for business, from celebrity CEOs at select international forums, to lobbyists, and special interest groups, making it difficult to establish clear priorities. The role of business membership organizations as a secure forum for business networking is slowly being made redundant as new communications technologies like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter weaken the value of this type of service. In addition, highly specialized providers of information and advisory services often have the edge over the business membership organizations.
The most effective organizations are taking proactive measures to support the needs of their constituency and to set policy agendas that meet the interests of all of their member businesses, regardless of size or sector. The ability to adapt has become essential.
To better understand the factors that are driving change, the ILO's Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP) is bringing together a group of experienced heads of business membership organizations, who have been able to anticipate change and provide visionary leadership for their organizations, to share experiences and debate potential ways forward. This forum will provide an overview of the challenges in the coming decade and a discussion on what they mean for organizations that represent business.
Representatives from the companies that use the services of business membership organizations will also be invited, along with leading researchers from the academic community who have studied business membership organizations in countries around the world, gaining important insights. Senior corporate representatives and thinkers from global organizations and policy groups will also contribute their views at the forum.
The forum will look at the following kinds of questions:
- What is the value proposition of business membership organizations for business today?
- Is there still a compelling advantage for collective action as opposed to the other options available?
- How are these organizations responding to a changing environment and new enterprise needs?
- How should business representation be organized to be effective in today's world?
- What changes are needed and how can they be realized in terms of approach, vision and commitment?
This symposium will provide a chance for representatives from business membership organizations to engage with prominent academics and experienced members of the business community in an interactive exchange of ideas and contrasting viewpoints. To encourage openness and the sharing of information, the Chatham House Rule will apply. These discussions will help spread innovative practices as well as guide a new research agenda, supported by ACTEMP, that will build on existing work and help enhance the ILO's programme of support for business membership organizations worldwide. Most importantly, organizations will emerge with a better understanding of where the business of representing employers' stands today and the prospects for the future.
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ACT/EMP Symposium 2011
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